Cloward And Ohlin's Theory Of Deviance Theory

There are three major premises when it comes to cultural deviance theories. They are: Miller’s focal concern theory, Cohen’s theory of delinquent gangs, and Cloward and Ohlin’s theory of opportunity. One of the major premises of the cultural deviance theory is focal concern theory, which was described by criminologist Walter Miller as having six main cocearns. There is a distinctive strong culture among lower, middle working-class individuals and a way of thinking that leads to the commission of crime. This strong culture has values, like toughness. The culture might portray that you must be tough, which would say that you are more likely to get in confrontations. Being a troublemaker means that your rebellious, that you are a person that …show more content…
Crime is that outcome of class struggle and is the primary conflict resulting from the clash of cultures. Smaller cultures also clash when they are created within the primary. Behaviors that holds lower class norms may be seen by others as a deliberate …show more content…
They would gain their support from their peer group, eventually accepting themselves as failures of living up to the middle-class standards. The eventually become a stable member in the community and accept their station in life. The college boy tries to live by middle class expectations, but still fails to live up to the middle-class standard. They will continually try to be a part of the middle class, but still not adhere to the standards. The delinquent boy goes through a reaction formation, where they internalized the middle-class norms but realizes that they will not accomplish it. (Wollan, 2015) They will desire the middle-class norms, but accepts that they cannot have it. So, they rebel against or do things that offend the middle-class norms;