Cloward and Ohlin (1961), argue that Merton and Cohen fail to explain why some subcultures have different norms and values, why do some only have their main concern as theft and others main concerns are violence, they developed the ideology that it depends on what social setting they have grown up in. The social environment plays a big part in how they will develop their norms and values, by what opportunities they have, with this evidence Cloward and Ohlin identified three types of delinquent subcultures.
- The criminal subculture, this subculture tends to develop in areas when there is already a well-established pattern of adult crime; it provides an illegitimate opportunity structure. The young men have role models within the society, from whom they can learn the tricks of the trade. From this they can climb the social ladder within that society by committing crime and developing into criminal hierarchy; this brings them success and gives them monetary gain.
- The conflict subculture, this subculture tends to develop in areas in which there is great economic success where illegitimate opportunity structure does not exist. These areas tend to have a high turnover of population and a low level of social unity; this disables established patterns of adult crime developing. The young working class males have little opportunity to succeed by either legitimate or illegitimate means, this making them frustrated and angry, responding with violence within the gang thus enabling them to gain status and respect within the gang from their peers.
- The retreatist subculture, this subculture tends to develop amongst failures of legitimate means or as members of either criminal or conflict subcultures, they are perceived as double failures and sometimes form retreatist subcultures based on illegal drug use.
Labelling Theory
The labelling theory is an ideology of Howard Becker (1963); he says that people only become deviants because that is the label that society has placed on them his statement has been frequently used because it represents a change in sociology, a new approach within the sociology of crime and deviance,
‘Social groups create deviance by making rules whose
Infraction constitutes deviance and by applying those rules
To particular people and labelling them as outsiders.
From this point of view, deviance is not a quality
Of the act the person commits but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an “offender”.
The deviant is one to whom that label has been applied;
Deviant behaviour is behaviour
That people so label.’
(Howard Becker 1963)
Becker’s labelling theory takes the problem away from the deviant and puts it on the agencies of social control, they label a child as a delinquent this is enforced on them throughout schooling and carries on, and it forms the impression in the mind of the person that he/she is a delinquent. So how does the labelling theory define deviance? Society as a whole make the rules, deviant behaviour is therefore someone who disregards these rules. The labelling theory realises that certain acts labelled as deviant are more than likely to be carried out by certain types of people, if you take an example say the police, they tend to stop the target specific groups, studies have shown that these are mainly unemployed young men who are from discriminated against ethnic minorities. This fits the labelling theory, as these young men are more likely to fit into the category that the police define as deviant, as they tend to see the young men from working class or ethnic minorities, as suspicious. Aaron Cicourel’s (1976) study of police and probation officers in California shows this point clearly. Those who fitted more into the picture of being classed as delinquent where more than often charged with criminal offence. The ones that fit the picture come from broken homes, and low-income home, and also show a bad attitude towards authority and schooling. Whereas the men who came from middle class families who were arrested where more than likely to be receive counselling, be cautioned then be released. This process created delinquents and they also crated the typical criminal shown in official statistics that being, young, working class males. If certain groups are labelled as deviant they will take on the role of the self-filling prophecy, this is when the person or group labelled as deviant carries on committing deviance but also accepts the label, thus proving to friends, family and society as a whole that they are achieving what their label exclaims.
Evaluation
Both the labelling theory and the Subcultural theory have similarities, these are that all the people who fit into these categories have been seen in the eyes of the wider society as failures, they have not succeeded in schooling and this has not given them the opportunity to succeed in work where they can gain self fulfilment. I feel that this needs to be recognised, particularly with the labelling theory, if teachers and other organisations are labelling the child as naughty or as deviant there is much evidence that this label sticks with the person to the extent that he or she believes that they are deviant, so to satisfy society they carry out the role of a deviant to the extent that they are fitting in with what they perceive is their role in life or in the society. This makes a great impact on their life, as they need someone to help them to see that they are not deviant or a naughty child and that they just have in most cases been misunderstood at some point in life. Every child will be naughty at some stage of their life’s and teachers and society need to recognise this and help the child to overcome this, by offering support or counselling to make it aware to the child that this behaviour is not acceptable and if they continue on this path it will lead to them not achieving and I also believe that a goal needs to be set for the child or adult to achieve, one that is not far away, this will help them to realise that they can achieve and fit into the norms of society which will give them the opportunity to succeed in society and most importantly in their life. I feel that this does play a part in today’s society, but with the recognition of certain learning difficulties such as ADHD, this enables children to gain more support that they need and not to be left out just because they cannot fit into the majority of the norms. I do not feel that either of these theories contradict nor criticize each other and if they are put into practice to help so called deviants that they will be or great beneficial use to society and the ‘deviant’.
Cicourel’s (1976) study of police and probation officers was done many years ago, and I feel that this is now out of date and that this does not happen in today’s society, with continues calls for equal opportunities this is something that has been eradicated and that the majority of people whom are arrested are treated in the same manner with the same consequences.
The criminal subculture is one area that is always going to be hard to tackle, this is where children are more than likely to have been brought up in an area where there is high levels of violence or criminal activity, this needs to be addressed by the police mainly and society as a whole, although I understand that this is a hard pattern to break, some people do not wish to break their patterns of a life time, but they need to be shown what impact it is having on their own children and how it will impact their life chances and prospect of their future. I also believe that the government needs to be looking at this type of subculture and make the approach to help the police by bringing in some form of re-educating the adults. This subculture is something that I feel has been around for years and will take more years to stop. Both theories I feel play relevance to today’s societies and will continue for many years to come.