Subcultural Theories of Crime

Subcultural theories build on Merton's strain theory by asking a question Merton left unanswered: why do people who experience blocked opportunities respond in the particular ways that they do? Rather than simply choosing between conformity, innovation, retreatism, ritualism, or rebellion as isolated individuals, many people respond to structural strain by forming or joining deviant subcultures — groups with their own distinctive norms and values that differ from those of mainstream society.

Key Definition: A subculture is a group within wider society whose members share norms and values that are distinct from — and often opposed to — those of mainstream culture.

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Albert Cohen: Status Frustration

Albert Cohen (1955) argued that Merton's theory was too individualistic and failed to explain non-utilitarian crime — crime that has no obvious material motive, such as vandalism and violence.

The Theory

Cohen agreed with Merton that working-class boys face blocked opportunities for achieving mainstream success goals, particularly in the education system. However, Cohen argued that the response is not simply individual innovation but the collective formation of delinquent subcultures.