In
criminology
Criminology (from Latin , "accusation", and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'' meaning: "word, reason") is the study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in both the behavioural and so ...
, the focal concerns theory, posited in 1962 by
Walter B. Miller
Walter B. Miller (1920–2004) was an American anthropologist and was known for his study and publications on youth gangs.
Biography
Early life
Walter Benson Miller was born February 7, 1920, in Philadelphia and died March 28, 2004 in Cambridge ...
, attempts to explain the behavior of "members of adolescent street corner groups in lower class communities" as concern for six focal concerns: trouble, toughness, smartness, excitement, fate, autonomy.
Miller described these focal concerns as "areas or issues which command widespread and persistent attention and a high degree of emotional involvement."
Miller's theory, as it is often referred to, views these criminogenic influences as a learned part of the lower-class subculture values.
In essence, the theory suggests that delinquency is in fact part of the learned cultural values rather than an
anomic
In sociology, anomie () is a social condition defined by an uprooting or breakdown of any moral values, standards or guidance for individuals to follow. Anomie is believed to possibly evolve from conflict of belief systems and causes breakdown ...
reaction to unattainable goals.
See also
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Core values
Core or cores may refer to:
Science and technology
* Core (anatomy), everything except the appendages
* Core (manufacturing), used in casting and molding
* Core (optical fiber), the signal-carrying portion of an optical fiber
* Core, the central ...
*
David Matza
David Matza (May 1, 1930 – March 14, 2018) was an American sociologist who taught at University of California, Berkeley from 1961.
Life and Work
Born in New York, he received his PhD from Princeton University in 1959. His research fields inclu ...
*
Sentencing disparity
Sentencing disparity is defined as "a form of unequal treatment in criminal punishment that is often of unexplained cause and is at least incongruous, unfair and disadvantaging in consequence".
In the United States men are most adversely affected ...
*
Social values
In ethics and social sciences, value denotes the degree of importance of something or action, with the aim of determining which actions are best to do or what way is best to live (normative ethics in ethics), or to describe the significance of dif ...
*
Uncertainty avoidance
In cross-cultural psychology, uncertainty avoidance is how cultures differ on the amount of tolerance they have of unpredictability. Uncertainty avoidance is one of five key qualities or ''dimensions'' measured by the researchers who developed the ...
References
Bibliography
* Cohen, Albert. Delinquent Boys (New York: Free press, 1995) pg. 19–25
* Miller, Walter. "Lower-class Culture as a Generating Milieu of Gang Delinquency," Journal of Social Issues 14 (1958): 5–19
* Flowers, Barri R. The Adolescent Criminal: An Examination of Today's Juvenile Offender. McFarland & Company, Inc. 108–109
Further reading
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* Frank, James., Stoddard, Cody., Engel, Robin. and Haas, Stephen. "Through the Court's Eyes: A New Look at Focal Concerns Theory" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology (ASC), Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA, Nov 01, 2006
. 2009-05-24
External links
Concerning Conceptualization and Operationalization:Sentencing Data and the Focal Concerns Perspective—A Research Note
The Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice
{{social and political philosophy
Sentencing (law)
Subculture theory
Social theories