Assess the usefulness of 'Sub-Cultural Theories' in explaining sub-culture.

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Assess the usefulness of subcultural theories in explaining subculture (in relation to C+D). (21)A subculture is where numerous individuals choose to separate themselves from the mainstream culture and are part of a separate group that follow their own, unique set of norms and values that may be deviant in society, hence their separation. For example, School is an accepted main stream culture people follow,  a sub-culture may be a group of people that decide to bunk.Albert Cohen is a theorist that believed subcultural crime and deviance stems from the fact that lower classes (proletariats) are unable to achieve mainstream success in order to obtain material goods that they tend to want, in a legitimate way therefore resort to crime. Which is a way of hopefully achieving what they want without going through the near impossible hierarchy of society and completion of
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institutions. Cohen therefore links in with Merton’s idea of American Dream and capitalism making that highly unlikely hence the deviance in order to climb the ladder of inequality. Cohen talks about Status frustration, and it is a key element to Cohen’s theory, when individuals are faced with failure they chose to join a subculture, as they no longer feel a part of society or that they can achieve so find other means of doing so, for example school bunking. Research has also shown that status frustration is resolved through creating or joining a subculture because it offers and alternative hierarchy. ...

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