Take Home Midterm Examination

Part A: Definitions 

Middle Class Measuring Rod 

Middle class measuring rod refers to a concept that focuses how subcultures arises within the social structure different features depicted within the structures. The concept, which was developed by Albert Cohen, was used to describe school systems that have a tendency of favoring the middle-class mannerism, etiquette among other factors. According to Cohen, the consideration of the middle class measuring rod seeks to reflect on subcultures that exist within the bigger social context rather than having to separate these subcultures from the larger society, as this would leading to a distinction in characteristics (Bledstein & Johnston, 2013). The concept is significant considering that it focuses on the provision of an appropriate explanation regarding the strains and frustrations that rises within different social structures. An example of the applicability of the concept include the frustrations that are experienced by children resulting from the situations where the middle class values are turned down.

Rebellion 

Rebellion refers to the refusal to obey the set rules and regulations thereby creating a form of resistance against an established authority. Rebellion is a concept that signifies opposition and resistance to laws that have been issues by a governing authority. Additionally, rebellion is often seen as the act through which to resist authority or control with the view being that one seeks to go outside the set out social structures to be considered as being rebellious. In the criminal law, rebellion is an act that is punishable considering the nature of resistance experienced. For example, in a case involve rebellion that amounts to treason, the punishment may either result to imprisonment or fines. However, the legal concepts provide the right to rebellion considering that there are factors that may rise the need to rebel in a bid to seek further explanations to various issues.

“ The Good Old Days are a Myth” 

“The good old days” is term used to when describing the positive things that happened in the past and those that no longer happen in the present times. The argument on “the good old days are a myth” focuses on opposing the fact that the good time only happened in the future and the are no longer in existence. The myth is compounded by the fact that every aspect of the society is bound to change moving into the future; thus, meaning that the society has the capacity and authority allowing for ensuring that the different aspects are reflected as being positive. The argument opposes the golden age fallacy and capitalizes on the fact that there are positive things that may be happening in the present therefore nullifying the Nostalgia. The argument is significant as it helps in enhancing the appreciation of the present happenings considering that they play a role in creating a history. An example can be seen from a historical context in which the American society was not facing issues associated with drug abuse, as it did not encounter any issues in dealing with drug manufacturing and distribution.

Exaggeration and Distortion 

Exaggeration refers to the act of overemphasizing on something by adding aspects magnifies and intensifies the initial state of something. In other words, this means that one is able to use the concept of exaggeration towards representing something in a manner that can be termed as being excessive. On the other hand, distortion refers to the act of falsification with the aim of creating a misleading information, which in most cases is the sole intention of distorting the information being presented. Exaggeration and distortion are crucial aspects in criminal law considering that information requires to remain in relevant and in the original state. Exaggerating and distortion of statements in the legal perspective may result in inadequate evidence regarding a given aspect. The aspects of exaggeration and distortion are vital in capitalizing on relevance efficacy. An example of an exaggeration and distortion is when one talks about a fish that would be considered as big as a house, as this information is not only inaccurate but exaggerated.

Deviancy Amplification 

Deviance amplification refers to the aspect of determining the increase in reports concerning antisocial behavior, crime or other undesirable aspects in the society thereby leading to moral panic (Van Ryzin & Dishion, 2014). In the legal perspective, the societal reaction plays an important role in increasing deviance considering the creation of moral panic. An example of the concept entails a situation where there is a moral panic regarding a terror attack in the society. In that case, the reaction has a major role in advertising the issue thereby leading to the implication of the crime. An example of a deviancy amplification can be seen in the cases of mass shooting that are being amplified through the media as a way of highlighting the vice associated with such cases.

Opportunity Theory 

Opportunity theory refers to a concept suggesting that offenders have a tendency of making rational choices based on different situation that capitalizes on the provision of a higher reward and minimal risks (Guerette & Santana, 2010). The theory maintains that the existence of a crime is based on two major factors which include the will and need to engage in the crime and the opportunity to engage in the desired crime. The opportunities created for a given crime are based on factors such as lifestyle, routines and or other factors that present an opportunity for offenders to engage in crime. In that case, opportunity tend to be a limiting factor when dealing with areas that are prone to crime. An example of an opportunity theory is drug use, which is considered as a key part of criminal gangs.

Part B: Short Answers 

In the lecture on American Subcultural Theory, one of the key aspects that has been considered is Walter Miller’s Concept of Focal Concerns . The lecture gives insight on the five focal concern, as have been projected by Walter Miller, which are toughness, smartness, fate, autonomy, and excitement. According to the information on the lecture, “Walter Miller criticized Cohen for over-exaggerating how ‘deviant’ or ‘delinquent’ the activities of youth gang members are. Each of the focal concerns reflects on deviant’ or ‘delinquent’ activities that can be associated with youth gangs.”

The first focal concern, as presented by Walter B. Miller, is autonomy, which is considered as a resistance associated with youths in the low social classes towards the control over their lives by others (Vito, 2016). An example of autonomy can be seen when African American youths resist policies that seek to control different aspects of their lives. The second concern is excitement, which Miller defines as the search for thrill, danger, and risk often associated with deviant behaviors among the youths. An example of excitement arises in criminal gangs engaged in crime. The third concern is smartness, which is defined as the ability for one to avoid being caught up in the wrong side of the law. An example can be seen when drug dealers seek to use alternative approaches to outdo the police.

The fourth concern is toughness, which is characterized by the ability to show physical prowess by seeking to build on one’s machismo (Vito, 2016). An example is when gangs engage in physical attacks over their rivals to show the extent of their physical capacities. The fifth concern, as has been projected by Miller is trouble, which is reflected by the idea of getting into and always learning how to stay away from trouble with the law. An example is when criminal gangs use corrupt officers to tip them on patrols to avoid being caught.

The strength associated with Miller’s concept is that it provides insight on why persons are likely to behave in a specific manner. Specifically, the theory is effective in trying to explain behaviors associated with youths and adolescents in the low-class communities as one of the ways through which define the extent of the behaviors with regard to their engagement in crime. The strength can be seen from the description of the different focal concerns that are reflective of the behaviors that are projected by youths and adolescents engaging in crime within street corners. However, the weakness is that it has not been supported by factual evidence; thus, cannot be accepted as being realistic. The theory is based solely on Miller’s personal views, which means that it cannot be considered as being realistic in terms of its capacity in trying to explain specific behaviors.

Tanner, Asbridge, & Wortley (2008), in the reading Our favourite melodies: musical consumption and teenage lifestyles, find that tastes in musical variations are often defined by racial and ethnic identity, school experiences and cultural capital, each of which tends to have a significant impact on the type of music that teenagers would want to hear. The findings also build on the understanding that there exists a close link between musical tastes and peer group cultural practices. That means that the type of music that teenagers listen to serves as a key determinant of the cultural practices that they adopt as part of their lifestyle. Based on these findings, Tanner, Asbridge, & Wortley (2008) conclude that the nature and dimensions of teenage lifestyles are compounded significantly by the type of music they experience. That means that teenagers listening to music that can be categorized as promoting violence are likely to show a high level of aggression when compared to other teenagers listening to different type of music.

Part C: Long Answers 

The lecture on British subcultural theory reflects on a “focal theme of British subcultural theory focusing on how youth challenge the adult culture when they experience failure.” one of the key areas that the lecture focused on was comparing and contrasting the American and British subcultural theory. The lecture highlight some of the key aspects that are important to consider when evaluating these two subcultural theories, which include expressive and instrumental variance. It is clear from the lecture that the American and British subcultural theory reflect on the position of the youth as forming subcultures that are reflective of deviance as a way of solving key social problems.

A comparison of the American subcultural tradition to the British subcultural tradition suggests that there are several key similarities that seek to define these two traditions. One of the notable subcultural traditions that are synonymous with both the Americans and the British is their belief in the family unit. For both Americans and British subcultures, family is considered as one of the key social units that they uphold with uttermost respect and value. Another key tradition that is evident between the two subcultures is their belief in one or more religions. The subcultures associated with Americans and British are known for their connection with religion and religious beliefs. That can be supported by the fact that more than 90% of both Americans and British identify themselves with a specific religion, which suggests that these subcultures are defined by the religious practices.

It is equally important to take note of the fact that both the American and British subcultures include the criminal, violence (conflict), and retreatist (drug) subcultures, which define the social structures (Williams, 2007). Merton (1938), in the reading Social Structure and Anomie, reflects on the American sociological review indicating that, “an effective equilibrium between the two phases of the social structure is maintained as long as satisfactions accrue to individuals who conform to both constraints…” (p.674). Each of these subcultures has created a situation where delinquency within the American and British social structures is notably high when compared to other societies around the world. That is driven by the fact that a majority of the youths find themselves embracing one or all of these subcultures to define what is expected of them from a societal perspective (Brake, 2013). The outcome is that it most of the youths are able to identify opportunity structures that allow them to engage in different forms of negative behaviors without due consideration of the impacts that such behaviors may have on their role as part of the social system.

When contrasting the American and British subcultural traditions, there several differences that one would note between these traditions. Firstly, the American subcultures are considered as being much more friendly when compared to their British counterparts. Bordua (1961), in the reading Delinquent subcultures: sociological interpretations of gang delinquency, suggests that group delinquency has been reflective of American sociology for a period of more than 50 years. An example can be seen from the fact that Americans are much more likely to strike a conversation with a stranger, which is not the case when focusing on the British. Secondly, the American subcultures can also be considered as being much more diverse when compared to the British subcultures. That is defined by the fact that Americans comprise of persons from different cultural groupings including Africans, Hispanics, and Asians. However, the British subcultures are only comprised of whites.

In the youth and culture lecture, one of the key areas of discussion was on moral panics. The lecture seeks to expound on Stanley Cohen’s Moral Panic Theory reflect on different aspects that result in societal panic that go against the expected societal values. Stanley Cohen defines the concept of moral panics as a situation where an individual or a group of persons is categorized as being a threat to societal values and interests. Cohen indicates that societies often find themselves in a situation where they often define specific conditions or persons as a societal threat; thus, creating what can be considered as moral panic (Altheide, 2009). By causing moral panic, one of the key expectations is that the society is able to create fear among the people with the view that some form of evil is likely to affect the wellbeing of the society. An example of moral panic can be seen in cases where satanic cults believe in the idea of ritual abuse of women and children. The actions by these cults are often considered as being a threat to societal values regardless of the symbolic expectations that they are expected to play within the cults themselves.

Moral panic can be understood as an extension of British subcultural theory considering that it was associated with the issue of drug taking among London hippies, which was used as a key discussion in the media. Cohen (1980), in Chapter 4: Subcultural conflict and working-class community, reflects on the fact that the media has been a key factor seeking to define the culture adopted within a given society, which is reflective of the understanding of how moral panic is brought from as a social construct. From the discussions, in the media, drug taking was exaggerated with the aim being towards projecting as a social problem. Generally, this was synonymous with the fact that the media sought to project the lifestyle associated with the hippies as being a danger to the society. It is from this perspective that Cohen is able to build his concept of moral panic to reflect on the influence that negative views of an action or a group of persons is likely to be considered in negative light leading up to panic in the society. Cohen (1972), in Chapter 1: Deviance and Moral Panic, indicates that media reports on deviant behaviors often helps in the construction of a narrative that can be considered as a key factor contributing to the possibility of moral panic.

Part D: Essay 

The American subcultural theory is considered as being a key part of trying to explain issues associated with crime and delinquency among the youth in the American social context. Majority of the youths, in the American society, find themselves dealing with a clear lack of opportunities that would allow them to succeed with regard to the broader society and adapt culture (Brake, 2013). That creates a situation where most of these youths find themselves opting for crime with the view that this would be of great value towards ensuring that they are able to sustain their respective livelihoods in a society that does not accord them expected opportunities. A review of the different theories associated with the American subculture reflect on the fact that they are all compounded on a single focal theme of adapt to failure.

One of the notable theories to consider as part of the American subcultural theories is the strain theory, which is driven by the fact that the American society is driven towards the ‘American dream.’ The American subcultural theory lecture reflects on the strain theory based on its relation to the concept of the American dream. According to the lecture, the American dream ought to be considered as a “cultural belief that if you work hard, you will succeed”. The American dream is a cultural belief associated with the people living within the United States that suggests that the more the hard work one places on what he or she is doing, the higher the possibility of success. The theory has led to a majority of the youths from low-class communities experiencing frustrations considering that regardless of the efforts that they put in what they are doing, the outcome is that they are not in any position allowing them to achieve some form of success.

Another theory that defines the American social setting is the subcultural theory that reflects on the understanding of a cultural group as having beliefs or interests that go against those of the larger culture. The lecture builds on the subcultural theory in seeking to define what ought to be considered as a subculture. From the lecture, a subculture is defined as, “A cultural group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture.” In the case of the American social system, one of the key aspects to note is that majority of the youths in the low-class communities opt to engage in criminal activities as part of the cultural beliefs and interests (Stinchcombe, 2017). That is compounded by the fact that most of these youths hold the view that crime will be the only alternative for them in seeking a better life. The opportunity theory is equally important to consider when dealing with the American social system, as it reflects on the fact that the youths are able to provide different aspects that allow for the functioning of the criminal enterprise. The lecture also expounds on the opportunity theory from the perspective of trying to get a clear understanding of the existing delinquent opportunities. According to the lecture, delinquent opportunities are defined as, “connections or networks with criminals who can provide you with the knowledge, skills, tools, and associates necessary to succeed in criminal enterprise.” The idea is that these youths find themselves being cornered to use their skills and experience in such manners considering that there is a clear lack of opportunities that would tap into their talents.

In my evaluation of the theories, I tend to believe that the opportunity theory is the strongest, as it reflects on the idea of crime from the perspective of the youths engaging in such actions. It highlights that a majority of these youths are well equipped with knowledge and skills but lack the opportunity that would ensure that they utilize the same in an effective manner (Stinchcombe, 2017). Ultimately, this makes it much easier for them to be part of the criminal enterprises, as the enterprises require such knowledge and skills for them to function in an effective way. The theory is able to provide a clear understanding of the situation that a majority of the youths are in today; thus, defining crime and delinquency.

From the analysis, the theory that I consider as being the weakest is the strain theory, which reflects on the need for the youths to strain or put effort in everything that they do as a way of ensuring that they are able to succeed. In my view of the theory, I consider it as being weak, as it reflects on an inaccurate situation considering that the efforts that the youths place in their activities are much more likely to enhance their chances of success. The idea is that it seeks to create a confused approach on what is expected of the youths rather than having to present a clear picture of the current situation. However, I tend to believe that the theory would be strong if it were to hold the view that although the youths put their efforts in everything that they do, they fail to success due to lack of opportunities.

References

Altheide, D. L. (2009). Moral panic: From sociological concept to public discourse.  Crime, Media, Culture ,  5 (1), 79-99.

Bledstein, B. J., & Johnston, R. D. (2013).  The middling sorts: Explorations in the history of the American middle class . Routledge.

Bordua, D. J. (1961). Delinquent subcultures: Sociological interpretations of gang delinquency. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science ,  338 (1), 119-136.

Brake, M. (2013).  Comparative youth culture: The sociology of youth cultures and youth subcultures in America, Britain and Canada . Routledge.

Brake, M. (2013).  The Sociology of Youth Culture and Youth Subcultures (Routledge Revivals): Sex and Drugs and Rock'n'Roll? . Routledge.

Cohen, P. (1980). Subcultural conflict and working-class community. In Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cultural Studies, 1972-79 . Routledge.

Cohen, S. (1972). Chapter 1: Deviance and Moral Panics. In  Folk devils and moral panics . Routledge.

Guerette, R. T., & Santana, S. A. (2010). Explaining victim self-protective behavior effects on crime incident outcomes: A test of opportunity theory.  Crime & Delinquency ,  56 (2), 198-226.

Merton, R. K. (1938). Social structure and anomie.  American sociological review ,  3 (5), 672-682.

Stinchcombe, A. L. (2017). Merton’s theory of social structure. In  The idea of social structure (pp. 11-33). Routledge.

Tanner, J., Asbridge, M., & Wortley, S. (2008). Our favourite melodies: musical consumption and teenage lifestyles.  The British Journal of Sociology ,  59 (1), 117-144.

Van Ryzin, M. J., & Dishion, T. J. (2014). Adolescent deviant peer clustering as an amplifying mechanism underlying the progression from early substance use to late adolescent dependence.  Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry ,  55 (10), 1153-1161.

Vito, A. (2016).  Racial Profiling: Using Propensity Score Matching To Examine Focal Concerns Theory . Routledge.

Williams, J. P. (2007). Youth‐subcultural studies: Sociological traditions and core concepts. Sociology compass ,  1 (2), 572-593.