Soc 240-05: Criminality as Deviance

Naquan Turner

Soc 240-05

Criminality as Deviance

        The focal concerns theory created by Walter B. Miller, attempts to explain the behavior of the lower class communitiy as motive for deliquency. He comes up with six focal concerns: trouble, toughness, smartness, excitement, fate, and autonomy. These focal concerns are described as "areas or issues which command widespread and persistent attention and a high degree of emotional involvement."Miller's theory is often looked at as a thought process that is learned within the  lower-class subculture values. Thus for if it is learned it has nothing to do with the lack therof attaining goals.

        These focal cocerns range in order from the attention each concern receieves as well as the perceptional differences and how they are defined within the sub culture of the lower class. First we start with trouble. Trouble can be defined as looking to provoke officials or agencies. In a sense it is warranting unwanted attention. Trouble differs for men & women for men trouble is drinking and fighting. For females trouble comes in the form of sexual relationships where consequences are involved. Trouble within this community focuses on law abiding citizens and non law abiding. They both receieve a status within different social grouping an adolescent in a gang maybe looked as as cool for his dealings with the law in a negative way. While on the other hand a law abiding citizen knows this is not socially acceptable or understands the nature of what he/she did as something to be frowned upon not to congratulate over.

        Next there is Toughness, toughness is a combination of things and all these factors play out as an exhibit of ones “toughness” in a lower class society. What compromies toughness is overt and exaggerated masculinity, extreme bravery in dangerous situations, the lacking of concern for anything feminine, and the perceived ownership of women. How this effects the lower class is most young men are raised in predominately matriarchal families with a lack of any consistent male fiigures. Masculinity becomes a big thing. You must now show you are macho and not a “mamas boy” or “sissy” in most cases. A good example would be one given in the book. A man can be tough and still be a cook which is seen as feminine. To be tough you have to be tough on the street corner with the guys and show no fear whether verbally or physically.

        Smartness in the lower class cubculture is how one shows their capacity to outwit, outsmart and out con others. Within this you must be able to see the scam before it comes. One must posses the mental ability to acheive anything of value without the use of physical force or mimnimal physical effort. The terms and terminology of the streets must be understood. Smartness within this subculture is highly valued. Two good examples of smartness would be from the movie Carlitos way. The first is when Carlito set up the pool trick  he made the henchmen in the bar believe he was actually about to show them a pool shot they never saw before but the reason this was smart of Carlito is because he was able to see the scam when he asked to use the bathroom and was told it was out of order but he knew it wasnt and someone was in their. He used the pool trick to keep an eye on things and gain an upper hand on the thugs.