Criteria of Status among Street Groups

Abstract

The major forms or styles of delinquency which may be found in the lower-class community are postulated by opportunity theory as a function of the relative availability of illegitimate opportunity. This feature of the theory was empirically tested by investigating a network of six street groups in a lower-class community in which there was evidence of variation in access to illegitimate opportunity. Four of the groups were found to have specifiable delinquent styles. Their patterns of delinquency were characterized as sophisticated, conspicuous, occupational, and versatile. The two groups found to be nondelinquent are de scribed as unconventional and respectable. The sophisticated and conspicuous delinquent groups are seen as representing Cloward and Ohlin's ideal criminal and conflict variants of the delinquent subculture, with their access to illegitimate opportu nity differing in accord with prediction from opportunity theo ry. Although not predicted, the versatile pattern was found to be predictable from the theory with minor modification. However, opportunity theory did not predict the occupational delinquent pattern. This finding suggests the need to modify the theory to include the variable of orientation to adult reference group.