Why do young working class people commit crime? PART 1
This A-Level Sociology video explores reasons why there are differences in working-class and middle-class causes of crime.
- Subcultural explanations of crime and deviance
- Subculture theory focuses on explaining why young working class people commit crime, known as juvenile delinquency.
- This is often not linked to material or financial goals and is often malicious in nature.
- Subcultural theory attempts to explain why juvenile delinquency has a collective or subcultural character. This means is committed as part of a larger group or gang.
- These theories build on as well as criticise Mertons theory.
Theories and concepts such as the following will be explored in depth. Status frustration: AK Cohen (1955), Illegitimate opportunity structure: Cloward and Ohlin (1960) and Paul Willis’ Learning to Labour: How working class kids get working class jobs” (1979).
Please see Why do young working-class men commit crime Part 2 for further details on the topic.