1. Social Structure Theories
Delinquent behavior became an alternative mode of socialization through which youths who were part of disorganization communities were attracted to deviant lifestyles. ... Youths who are caught in anomie or abnormal situations are more likely to become deviant or delinquent than those who are not. Cohen's theory of lower-class youths derived from Merton's work as well as that of others, contends that lower class youths have middle class values, but their inability to attain them causes them to invert these values and become involved in negative, malicious behavior. Cloward and Ohlin...
- Word Count: 647
- Approx Pages: 3
- Grade Level: Undergraduate