SociologyExchange.co.uk Shared Resource

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

STARTER: Brainstorm on mini whiteboards

• What would sociologists find interesting about ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HAUmII_hcg&NR=1

Subcultures

Subcultures LESSON OBJECTIVES

• MUST understand what subcultures are and how they can cause crime

• SHOULD have a detailed understanding of subcultures and how they can contribute to involvement in crime

• COULD have a conceptually detailed understanding of subcultures and how they can contribute to involvement in crime. Evaluate the importance of subcultures in relation to other factors that can cause crime

Subcultures What do you already know about

subcultures?

What do sociologists mean by the term ‘subculture’? (4 marks)

Peer assess

A subculture is an identifiable group within society, whose members share common values and have similar behaviour patterns.

Subcultures can be based around social characteristics or styles (expressed through clothing etc) eg…

What are the characteristics of a subculture?

Inductive learning exercise to deepen our understanding:

Read the sources and look for similarities

How can subcultures cause crime and deviance?

How can subcultures cause crime and deviance?

• Importance of peers

• Conforming to the group

• Deviant values (“subterranean values”)

• Anti-school/counter school subcultures

Discuss how far sociologists would agree that crime and

deviance among teenagers result from their membership of deviant

subcultures. (12 marks)

Discuss how far sociologists would agree that crime and

deviance among teenagers result from their membership of deviant

subcultures. (12 marks)

SUCCESS CRITERIA: Detailed knowledge and understanding

Accurate use of concepts Evaluation (the “other side of the argument”)

Discuss how far sociologists would agree that crime and deviance among teenagers result from their membership of deviant subcultures. (12 marks)

In a deviant subculture, the group members’ behaviour does not conform to society’s norms.

Sub-cultural theory links crime and deviance among some teenagers (and adults) to the values of their subculture. In the 1950s, Cohen argued that young males learned to become delinquents by joining gangs in which delinquency already existed. Cohen linked delinquency among working-class boys to status frustration at school. These boys gained status through their delinquent subculture rather than from doing well at school.

On the other hand, the Marxist approach links crime to the workings of capitalist society. Labelling theory also disagrees with the sub-cultural theory and argues that working-class boys may end up labelled as criminals because of the reactions and stereotypes of people such as probation officers, police officers or teachers. Middle-class teenagers who behave in the same way often avoid being labelled.

In conclusion, sub-cultural theorists would agree that teenage crime and deviance is linked to membership of deviant subcultures. Marxist approaches put more emphasis on capitalism and labelling theory puts more emphasis on labelling and stereotyping of teenagers. However, sociologists would all agree that teenage crime and deviance results from social factors rather than biological or psychological factors.

Mark Scheme

• 1–3 Basic statements

• 4–6 To reach this band there must be some understanding of relevant sociological evidence, concepts and/or ideas. There will be no response to ‘how far’.

• 7–9 To reach this band there must be evidence of a more developed level of understanding of the relevant sociology

• There must also be evidence that the candidate recognises ‘how far’.

• 10–12 To reach this band there must be evidence of clear understanding shown through developed use of relevant sociological concepts and/or ideas within a well focused discussion that explicitly addresses ‘how far’ (eg through a comparison, in some detail, of the relative significance of subcultures compared to other factors).