NCJ Number
184906
Date Published
1996
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This chapter reviews research on adolescent subcultures and common varieties of delinquency, with a focus on the social type names or metaphors used by youths to maintain the boundaries of appropriate behavior within and between groups and to communicate with one another about the relative social status of their peers; the author also presents the results of his research on social type metaphors and adolescent subcultures in Wisconsin.
Abstract
The chapter begins by suggesting that the phenomenon of gang delinquency should be expanded in terms of a broader conceptualization of adolescent subcultures. After reviewing previous research, the chapter presents data on the social type names or metaphors used by adolescents in Wisconsin to delineate the status hierarchy of adolescent social relations. An examination of this element of adolescents' "semantic domain" reveals "an internally consistent system" of values and norms that establishes the boundaries of appropriate behavior within and between different groups. Additional research is recommended to investigate community perceptions of these social types and how these perceptions influence the community's reaction to its delinquency "problem." Further investigation into the post-adolescent "careers" of adolescents in various groups would also be useful. Such research would contribute to a greater understanding of the role of stratified adolescent networks in reproducing the larger community social structure and in mediating the relationship between social class background and particular patterns of delinquent and later-life experiences, both legal and illegal. 16 notes and 54 references