NCJ Number
147301
Journal
American Journal of Sociology Volume: 73 Dated: (1967) Pages: 63-72
Date Published
1967
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Through the use of separate measures of shared symbolic deviance and interaction patterns, this study presents evidence that there are a variety of social units within the delinquent subculture.
Abstract
"Subculture" refers to shared symbols, not to a specific type of interaction pattern. From the author's perspective, a delinquent subculture exists if a relationship is found between shared symbols (deviant values and deviant speech, or argot) and behavior that is potentially noticeable by officials. The social context of this shared deviance can vary and should be addressed empirically and theoretically. This study first considers the tendency to view the gang as the sole subcultural unit for delinquents, drawing on published studies to support the author's position that the gang has been overemphasized. The second half of the paper empirically examines various interaction patterns related to deviant indicators. The findings are based on information from a survey of youths who resided in randomly selected household units in New York City's Lower East Side. Interviews were completed with 555 youths. Processing of the entire sample (706 boys and girls aged 10 to 19 years) through police files showed that interviewed boys were as likely to be delinquent as their noncooperative peers. From respondents' perspectives, youth in urban slum areas tend to associate in pairs and triads more than in regular groups. Even the boys rated high in subcultural indicators were about evenly divided in their preference for pairs or triads versus regular groups. The data show that "subculture" and "gang" are not synonymous. The social units of the delinquent subculture are most accurately described as networks of pairs, triads, groups with names, and groups without names. 9 tables