Project instructions:
You also need to provide two (2) feedback posts to your peers. Each feedback post needs to be 250 words or more, and should include information that helps to enhance the discussion on the topic. Do not include statements such as great work, or excellent post. Try to include info that is challenging and respectful and that will stimulate debate. Also, be mindful of including references and citations whenever citing facts to support your position. APA 6th edition citations and references must be used always!
Subculture and Social Control:
The behavior of a person is learned as they are growing up and based on the different environment they are raised in. The way they learn is based on their age, their teachers and the ratio from good or bad social contacts or influences.
Theory predicts that the younger the “learner” is, in an intense relationship with the deviant “teacher”, and the more contacts with significant others who are “deviant”, then the greater the likelihood the “learner” will also be deviant. We know that old saying “Tell me who you hang out with and I will tell you who you are”; well the above statement is saying just that, if you associate yourself with bad people you will not only be labeled the same way, but eventually as time goes by you will start acting the same way in order to fit in and/or be accepted.
If we focus on control theory we are asking why is it that we act “correctly” only sometimes and not all the time? Why do people commit crime? Is it because, their behavior is control by the social power in our culture. If we look it in a different way or in other words some of the social bonds that we create can either moves us to commit deviance or simply keep us from committing deviance period.
We can say that there are things that tie one person to the next and that these reasons are why people act the way they act and tend to commit crimes or possibly strain from such. The way a person connects with other individuals (attachment); and the commitment this person has to the individual (what are you willing to do to keep the friendship); just to name a couple.
Certain middle-class gangs do not seem substantially different from lower class gangs. Some researchers have suggested two possible explanations: (1) middle-class delinquency will result in response to adjustment problems related to middle-class socialization; and (2) violence will be underplayed in the middle-class subculture, while the deliberate courting of danger and more sophisticated deviant techniques will be emphasized. Other researchers argue that the mass media has encouraged teenage delinquency and that socially sanctioned means of maintaining their social position for some members of the middle-class make these young people organize subcultures that fit the definition of a delinquent gang. The theory based on the organization of a delinquent subculture is illustrated and applied through an ex post facto application to a middle-class gang in a suburban community where friendship lines are usually drawn on a religious basis. Characteristics of gang members are described, as well as the nature of their social and family problems.
The upbringing of a person is the basic background of their personality and actions. I can see where lower class income families might find it necessary to be a part of a “gang” in order to survive and make ends meet. This is the mentality that a lot of our young youth has. Do I believe the media has influence our youth?
Absolutely; from T.V Shows to Movies to news room, they all contribute to today’s changes in society. Let me explain; our youth today spends more time in front of the T.V watching violent movies, playing violent games and unfortunately some adopt these ways, as the way they need to behave in society. They think that joining a gang is cool and it will give them the social status and respect they have longed for; depressing, right? And unfortunately is true. So I have to say that in my opinion the
Media is the greater factor in contributing to not only middle-class deviance but all of our youth regardless of their background. With this being said I do not want to leave behind the fact that family is also a big contributing factor as well.