Two Theories of Delinquent Subcultures are Walter Millers Theory of Focal

Concerns and Albert Cohens Theory of Delinquent Boys !ach theory deals with the
Subcultural Theory which is a sociolo"ical #ers#ecti$e that e%#hasi&es the contribution
%ade by $ariously sociali&ed cultural "rou#s to the #heno%enon of cri%e accordin" to
Cri%inolo"y Today' An (nte"rati$e )roduction by Fran* Sch%alle"er on #a"e +,-
Walter Millers Theory of Focal Concerns is an atte%#t to e.#lain the beha$ior
of lower class adolescents who are %e%bers of street corner "an"s based around si. focal
concerns /Sch%alle"er +,,0 The si. focal concerns are trouble1 tou"hness1 s%artness1
e.cite%ent1 fate1 and autono%y /Sch%alle"er1 +,,0 Accordin" to Miller1 each of these
focal #oints are defined as the followin"' Trouble is a #reoccu#ation with "ettin" into1 or
stayin" out of trouble1 which refers to acts of $iolence or interactions with the #olice1
Tou"hness is the need to de%onstrate one can stand u# to or ta*e whate$er the street
brin"s1 S%artness is referred to as the hi"h $alue #laced on street s%arts and how one
%ust *now how to handle the%sel$es in the street1 !.cite%ent is the $iew that life is all
about the thrill of en"a"in" in conflict and ri##in" #eo#le off1 Fate is the belief that
whate$er ha##ens in ones life is out of their control1 and Autono%y is the intolerance of
chan"es to ones at%os#here and the need to stand u# to anythin" or any #erson that
challen"es you /Sie"el 2 Welsh1 3450 These focal concerns are described as areas or
issues that co%%and e.tensi$e and constant attention and an ele$ated de"ree of
e%otional in$ol$e%ent /Sie"el 2 Welsh1 3450 (n its funda%ental nature1 the theory
deter%ines that delinquency is #art of the learned cultural $alues rather than an ano%ic
reaction to unattainable "oals /Sie"el 2 Welsh1 3450
(n Millers research1 he $iewed the entire lower class as a unique subculture1 and
sin"led out fe%ale6based households as a factor in #roducin" "an"s /Sie"el 2 Welsh1
3430 Miller e.#lains that youn"er1 lower class %ales "o out in the streets in search of
%ale role %odels in order to learn %ale a##ro#riate beha$ior /Sie"el 2 Welsh1 3430 By
doin" this1 "an"s beco%e an arena for de%onstratin" and e.a""eratin" the core $alues of
%ales in an atte%#t to de%onstrate %ale beha$ior /Sie"el 2 Welsh1 34+0 Millers wor*
has been critici&ed because he essentially bla%es the lower class for ha$in" #articular
$alues1 which he based as his focal #oints /Sie"el 2 Welsh 34+0 Miller belie$ed in his
theory that the lower class resented the %iddle class for what they had1 not who they
were1 and wanted to "et the rewards that the %iddle class had without doin" the hard
wor* /Sie"el 2 Welsh1 34+0
Albert Cohen on the other hand1 created his own Theory of Delinquent Boys
Cohen belie$ed that the delinquent beha$ior fro% youths is an u#risin" a"ainst what
%iddle class society belie$es a nor%al society should in fact be /7illy1 Cullen1 2 Ball1
-30 Because these conditions %a*e the% inca#able of achie$in" success le"iti%ately1
lower6class youths e.#erience a for% of culture conflict that Cohen labels as status
frustration or reaction for%ation /Sch%alle"er1 +8+0 So what ha##ens is that1 because
they dont fit the nor%1 the 9u$enile delinquents for% "an"s to su##ort each other and are
o##osin" society /7illy1 Cullen1 2 Ball1 -30 This is due to the #oor $alue of lower class
ability to a #ro#er education1 and not ha$in" the su##ort of fa%ily in the ho%e /7illy1
Cullen1 2 Ball1 -30
Cohen also studied $andalis% in relation to 9u$enile delinquency and ca%e to the
conclusion that thin"s of $alue that are found are destroyed rather than stolen or used for
financial "ain1 to turn the %iddle class $alues u#side down and to disru#t the nor% and
res#ect that %iddle class citi&ens "enerally dis#lay /Sch%alle"er1 +8+0 :e also ar"ued
that by en"a"in" in $andalis%1 9u$enile youths could achie$e status a%on" their #eers1
and this was %oti$ation for those in$ol$ed to ta*e #art in $andalis% /Sch%alle"er1 +8+6
+840
(n co%#arison of these two theories1 Miller bla%ed the lower class $alues as the
reasons for 9u$enile delinquency and for youn"er1 lower class children ta*in" #art in
"an"s1 while Cohen bla%ed the lower class in$ol$e%ent in "an"s as an atte%#t to rebel
a"ainst the %iddle class1 and their own low status Millers theory was based on a
9u$enile re$olt a"ainst %iddle class based on what the %iddle class has1 and Cohens
theory was a re$olt a"ainst the %iddle classed based on what they were1 and who they
were While the "oals were un6si%ilarly $iewed in each theory1 both Miller and Cohen
$iewed the lower class in "eneral in low re"ard1 and co%#ared the% in so%e res#ect to
the %iddle class
Works Cited
7illy1 ; <obert1 Cullen1 Francis T1 2 Ball1 <ichard A Criminological Theory: Context
and Consequences. California' Sa"e )ublications1 (nc1 +55, )rint
Sch%alle"er1 Fran* Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction =ew ;ersey'
)earson !ducation (nc1 +55> )rint
Sie"el1 7arry 2 Welsh1 Brandon Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and La.
California' Wadsworth1 Cen"a"e 7earnin"1 +55- )rint