CRIMINOLOGY

Criminology Theory

Criminology Theory

Introduction

The concept of subculture ("sub culture") is since the 1940s in sociology used term, with a specific group of social actors of a culture is described, which in terms of central norms clearly distinguished from the "dominant" culture. A complete definition, that is a prevailing standards diametrically opposite social group was asked by sociologists (especially since the protest movements of the 1960s), often called “counterculture" refers to (counterculture). Colloquially, both terms are often used interchangeably. Since the late 1960s the term was also used colloquially, initially by members of the "counterculture", later including the gay community. The subculture theory is a criminal-sociological approach, the deviant behavior of group membership explains. He has no predictive value for the individual case. The versions of this theory all come from the tradition of the Chicago school of sociology (Kaminski, Marek, 2004, p. 54).

The basic assumption of the theory is that social subcultures (subcultures) in needs, behavior, values ??and norms such of the respective main crop (middle-class culture are different), that criminal acts are almost inevitable. The protagonists of criminological theory subculture gained their knowledge from observation of urban gangs (gangs) of young men, with which the Declaration criminological profit remained limited. This explanation was criminological theories during the term of neutralizing oppositely.

Evaluation of the Sub-Culture Theory

History of the Concept

It was first used the word "subculture" (English subculture), the American sociologist Milton M. Gordon, who in the 1940s drew on ethnic groupings (neighborhood formation) in U.S. cities. For a while it remained the dominant use, so developed , Albert K. Cohen in the 1950s based on studies of the Chicago school of sociology (based mainly on young, ethnically homogenous street gangs), a micro-sociological "sub-culture theory." Accordingly, these different groups had developed their own standards based primarily on the set of values ??of the white middle class deposed aware, yet pursued by no means revolutionary or even intentions, but lined up partly own, often more archaic rules. Particularly in the context of British cultural studies (including Dick Hebdige), the term later on in England during the 1960s resulting, often class-specific youth cultures (e.g., mods, rockers or skinheads, hip hoppers, hippies, and later on punks) applied. Appeared in the early 1970s in Germany, the much-quoted book The Theory of the subculture of Rolf Schwendter in which among other "progressive" (hippie protest movement) and "regressive" (neo-Nazis were located) subcultures on the "margins" of the main culture - this view is way however, was strongly influenced by the era's politicized and often idealized notions of a society and possibly changing the medium term "counterculture" (Kaminski, Marek, 2004, p. 54).

Today, the term "subculture" is used less often in science. This is mainly why the case because the definition is unclear on the one hand - most of it is talk that a group of "substantially" different standards than the main crop - on the other hand, most so-called groups perceive themselves differently. The term can be very popular because of its use is often very difficult to use ...