I know we're all told not to cite Wikipedia. So we won't cite it but we will show you this Wikipedia page for subcultural theory, which is a short entry about a theory of why gangs form.
It personally leaves me with a funny look on my face and a sour taste in my mouth. The theory is "arguing that certain groups or subcultures in society have values and attitudes that are conducive to crime and violence."
Can this possibly be true? It seems pretty problematic, as well as non-anthropological, to us, not to mention creating an "other" in a major way. Is there anything to be said for this theory? Are there any common threads throughout the points of view of the major theorists?
How about Phil Cohen, who argues that capitalism in our society "attempts to achieve hegemony" through domination of adults, and youth are "relatively free" from this structure, so they find the deviance more appealing and logical?
Can gangs be explained through theory at all?
- Lucy
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