Status Frustration

Albert Cohen - builds on Merton's work - but focuses on the position of groups in society. 

He argues that working class youth believe in the success goals of mainstream culture.

Experiences of failure in education etc. mean they have little opportunities to attain these goals by approved means. 

Feel they are denied status in the mainstream society and experience status frustration. 

They react by developing an alternative distinctive set of values - a delinquent subculture. 

Evaluation

Looks at a group - social class - rather than individuals.

Young working-class delinquents accept the mainstream values as superior and desirable. 

Strain Theory - Merton

RRRIC - Rosie's Really Really Itchy Calf

Conformity - Accept goals and means - non-deviant, non-criminal conformist citizen.

Innovation - Accepts goals but does not accept means - Factors like poor education qualifications or unemployment mean that some people can't achieve goals by approved means so they turn to crime as an alternative.

Ritualism - Accepts means but does not accept goals - Give up on achieving goals but stick to means. E.g. teachers who have given up caring about student success, or office workers who have abandoned hopes of promotion and are just marking time until they retire. 

Retreatism - Does not accept means or goals - Drop outs like drug addicts or tramps, who give up all together.

Rebellion - Can either accept of reject both means and goals - Reject existing social goals and means, but substitute new ones to create a new society, like revolutionaries or members of some religious sects. 

Functionalism

Functionalism

1. Consensus - all parts of society work together in agreement.
2. All aspects have a function; a purpose.
3. Structuralist theory - studying society as a whole system.
4. Members of society need to be integrated into society - To maintain social order and social stability. 
5. Parsons - family - socialisation - Providing a 'Warm Bath' - stabilising adults. 
6. Education - Secondary socialisation. Learn norms & values of society. Sorts & sifts you into academic achievers/failures. 
7. Meritocracy - our society is a meritocracy. Our status is earned - if you work hard & gain skills & intelligence you will then succeed in society. 
8. Members of society need to be socialised  into shared norms & values. "Value Consensus" - members of society agree on the shared values.