Cultural Deviance Theory

Cultural Deviance Theory The cultural deviance theory states that social disorganization and delinquency are linked, resulting in crime as a normal response to the social, structural and cultural characteristics of a community.Thistheory usesculturalmappingtoexplainthatpeoplearenotinherentlydeviant,but theyareinfluencedbycircumstance. ThistheorycombineselementsofbothStrainandSocialDisorganizationTheorytoexplainhow peoplelivinginslumneighborhoodsreacttoisolationfromtherestofsocietyandeconomic deprivation.Becausethislifestyleisextremelyfrustratinganddraining,membersofthelower classoftencreatetheirownsubculture(asocialunitwithitsownrulesandvalues).Themiddleclasscultureemphasizeshardwork,delayedgratification,andeducation.Thelowerclass subcultureemphasizesexcitement,toughness,fearlessness,immediategratification,and "streetsmarts."Thelowerclasssubculturehasmanyfollowersbecauseitiseasiertofitinto thanthemiddleclassculture.Slumdwellersareforcedtoviolatethelawbecausetheyobeythe rulesofthedeviantcultureinordertofitintotheirsurroundings.  Lower Class Focal Concerns Walter Miller (1958)believedthatthelower-classcausedcriminalbehaviorthroughculturally sharedideas.Hedidnotfocusonsocialconditions;insteadhebelieveddelinquencywas createddirectlyfromthevaluesystemofthelower-classculturethathaddevelopedasa responsetotheenvironmentalconditionsofslumlife.Millerarguedthatthelower-classhada uniqueidentifiableculturewithvaluesquitedifferentfromthemiddleclass.Delinquencyoccurs asabyproductoflower-classgoalachievement. Millerdevelopedhislowerclassfocalconcernstoexplainhowlower-classinterestsandvalues perpetuateandfacilitatecrimeanddeviance.Millersfocalconcernssuggestthatfeaturesof lower-classculturealsoleadtodeviancethroughadistinctnormativestructurethatconflicts withnormsofthedominantculture.Miller'stheoryisgroundedinlearningtheoryandecological data;totheextentthatthenormslearnedinlower-classsettingsdepartfromthoseofthe dominantmiddle-classculture,thestageissetforcultureconflict. Milleridentifiedsixfocalconcerns: i.Trouble(Interferencefromofficialsocialcontrolagentsofthedominantculture) 1.Attheheartoftrouble,however,isthepotentialforarrest,fines,courtappearances,jail sentences,andsimilarinconviencesgeneratedinresponsetodrinkingsprees,fights,orother illegalbehavior. 2.Troublerepresentsundesirableconsequences 3.Potentialfortroubleservesasanegativecriterionformateselectioninthelowerclass. 4.Troubleismetwithambivalenceinlower-classstructure.  ii.Toughness(Distortedimageofmasculinity) 1.Maybeareactiontofemale-dominatedhouseholdsthatareprominentinthelower-class environment. 2.Lackingmalerolemodels,lower-classboysdeveloppatternsofbehaviorthatdistort masculinity. 3.Boyswhoareupwardlymobile,scholasticallysuccessful,orwhodevelopartistictalents arelabeled"queer","sissy,"or"pansy,"whiletattoosareconsideredmasculine.  iii.Smartness(Skillandabilitytodominateverbalexchangespertinenttothelower-class environment) 1.Theabilitytomanipulateandoutwitothersthroughskillfuldeploymentofverbaland psychologicalskills. 2.Masteryoftheseskillscanplaceanindividualevenhigherinsocialrankthanthe"tough guy." 3.The"smartguy"isalsoadmiredasonewhoreapsbenefitsfromotherswithaminimumof physicaleffort.  iv.Excitement(Relievingthemonotonousroutineoflower-classexistencethroughemotionarousingentertainmentthatoftenviolatesnormsofthedominantculture)  v.Fate(Beliefinlittlecontrolovertheforcesshapingone'slife) 1.Oneis"lucky"or"unlucky"and,althoughluckisseenaspronetoshift,thefutureisnot seenassubjecttocontrol.  vi.Autonomy(Ambivalenceregardingfreedomfromexternalcontrolreflectedinovert resentmentofcontrol,butcovertpursuitofcontrol) 1.Reflectsresentmentofthelower-classtowardcontrolandauthority.  SomeopponentsofMiller'sFocalConcernssuggestorchargethattheyresemblestereotyping andbigotry.Theseconcernsputpeopleatoddswiththoseofthelargerculture,andmakethem morelikelytogetintotrouble Middle Class Measuring Rod Arechildreninthelower-classdestinedtofail?Albert K. Cohen (1955)suggestedthat membersofthelower-classcouldn'tliveuptomiddleclassexpectations.Ateverystepoflife, (school,work,community)theyarejudgedbymembersofthemiddle-classwhohavedifferent culturalstandards. Cohenfocusedontheschoolasatooloflowerclassfailure.Oureducationalsystemisbuilton thevaluesofthemiddleclassandthereforethisvaluesystemisregardedasthe"middle-class measuringrod".Strongemphasisisplacedonreadingandwritingskills,andmostteachers comefromthemiddleclass.Cohenbelievedlower-classchildrenweren'ttaughtthebasicskills neededtothriveinmiddle-classculture.Thus,theyaretreateddifferentlybyteachersandother schooladministratorsandlearnfromaveryearlyagethattheydonot"measureup". Frustrationoverfailingtomeetthemiddleclassstandardcausesdelinquentbehavior. Delinquencyarisesoutoftheculturalconflict.Whentheycan'tachievemiddle-classsuccess, lower-classchildrenbandtogetherandformtheirownculture,acultureofpoverty,withnew measuresofsuccessthatarequitedifferentfromthemiddleclass.Crimeistheresultofbeing heldtoamiddleclassmeasuringrodthatbydefinitiondoesn'tallowthelower-classtosucceed. Whenyouthrejectthemiddleclassvaluesbecausetheyarefrustratedbythethingthatcan't haveandtheycommitmorefullytothelowerclassvaluesthisisseenasreactionformation- thepsychologicalprocessofrejectingthethingthatyoucan'thave.  School Drop Outs: Race, Class, and Gender—You Decide Cohenproposedthatlower-classchildrenlearnatanearlyagethattheyarenevergoingto 'measureup'tomiddleclassvalues.Meetingwithcontinualfailure,theybecomefrustratedand dropoutofschool.Thosewithouthighschooldiplomashaveadifficulttimefunctioningin modernsociety.Ahighschooldegreeisaminimumrequirementformanyjobs,andthosewith degreesconsistentlyobtainhigherincomeandoccupationalstatus,whilethosewithoutare morelikelytobeunemployed(OfficeoftheAssistantSecretaryforPolicy,2008).Highschool dropoutsaremorelikelytoliveinpoverty,utilizegovernmentaidandhaveinvolvementin criminalactivity(Belfield&Levin,2007).  Theory of Culture Conflict In 1938, criminologist Thorsten Sellin wrote a book entitledCulture Conflict and Crimethat clarified the culture conflict theory. According to Sellin, the root cause of crime is based upon various values and beliefs for what is acceptable behavior. The clash of these values and beliefs result in crime. Furthermore, since crime constitutes a violation of the law, the criminal act is simply a clash over what is the acceptable behavior. In addition, Sellin referred to two types of culture conflict:primary conflictandsecondary conflict. Initially,primary conflictoccurs when the clash involves fundamental cultural beliefs.Secondary conflictinvolves less fundamental beliefs. Moreover, Sellin indicated that secondary conflict exists between the middle class and lower class. The middle class goes to work every day in order to make a living through a legal manner. Meanwhile, others engage in illegal activities, such as prostitution, in order to make a living. These illegal activities have been established by laws created by middle and upper classes. According to Sellin, crime continues as these two classes clash. Culture Conflict Theory    1920s-Present CultureConflictTheory,alsoknownasCulturalDevianceTheory,is"asociological perspectivethatsuggeststhattherootcauseofcriminalitycanbefoundinaclashof valuesbetweenvariouslysocializedgroupsoverwhatisacceptableorproperbehavior." (Schmallegerp.275) CultureConflictTheoryalsopresumesthatpeopleoutsidethemainstreammayadaptto subcultures,whichhavetheirownnormsandvalues,andmaycelebratecriminalor deviantbehavior.