In modern society, crime and culture are intertwined dynamically. Most patterns of criminal behavior occur as a result of the existence of deviant subcultures. The core reason is that many events and behaviors identified by the social values as criminal are often considered as the unique style of the representatives of subcultures. Cultural values are often based on religious or ethical considerations. Initially, such moral setups should prevent criminal behavior. The laws of practically any country reflect basic moral principles intended to protect human rights and freedoms, which are initially the categories of ethics. However, laws cannot ensure that people equally live in identical conditions. Social stratification, inequality, and cultural inquiries cause many problems resulting in limited opportunities for people to express their identities. Here the notion of subcultures occurs, helping people to express their protest against the shared values.
Subculture is a sovereign holistic entity within the dominant culture, distinguished by its values. The concept of subculture arose due to the existence of social groups whose representatives endorse behavior that differs from generally accepted norms (SAGE Video, n.d.). Even in countries with different legislation, subcultures will contradict the established cultural and legal norms. People’s deviant behavior is caused by dissatisfaction with their position in society. Subcultural theories explain that criminal behavior is based on denying dominant cultural values. Subcultures’ representatives usually approve insignificant criminal behaviors to achieve desired goods or statuses. Understanding the principles of subcultures’ occurrence and functioning can help identify the core reasons for deviant behavior (Brotherton & Young, 2014). The social and cultural values condition the changes in the psychology of people, causing criminal behavior. Subculture is the phenomenon reflecting the unity of people suffering from a similar socially-conditioned problem.
References
Brotherton, D., & Young, J. (2014). Cultural criminology and its practices: A dialog between the theorist and the street researcher.Dialectical Anthropology, 38(2), 117–132. Web.
SAGE Video. (n.d.). Jeff Ferrell discusses cultural criminology [Video]. SageKnowledge. Web.