FACULTY OF HUMANITIES, SOCIAL SCIENCES AND LAW

NAME: ZIKHONA

SURNAME: DIPHU

STUDENT NUMBER: 218167059

MODULE NAME: THEORIES OF CRIME 2

MODULE CODE: THC48M1

DUE DATE: 18/06/2021

ASSIGNMENT TOPIC: WHAT ARE THE FOCAL CONCERNS OF

INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………… 1

LOWER CLASS FOCAL CONCERNS…………………………………….. 2

EVALUATION OF MILLER’S THEORY…………………………………… 3-4

CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………… 5

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………. 6
INTRODUCTION

According to Miller in the case of gang delinquency the cultural system which exerts
the most direct influence on behaviour is that of the lower class community itself, a
long established, distinctively patterned tradition with an integrity of its own rather
than a so called delinquent subculture which has arisen through conflict with middle
class culture and is oriented to the deliberate violation of middle-class norms. To
Miller, juvenile delinquency is not rooted in the rejection of middle-class values, it
stems rather from lower-class culture, which has its own value system. This value
system has evolved as a response to living in slums. Gang norms are simply the
adolescent expression of the lower class culture in which the boys have grown up.
This lower class culture exists apart from middle class culture and has done so for
generations. The value system, not the gang norms, generates delinquent acts.
Miller has identified six focal concerns, or areas to which lower class males give
persistent attention.
LOWER CLASS FOCAL CONCERNS

Trouble is a major feature of lower class life. Staying out of trouble and getting into
trouble are daily preoccupations. Trouble can get a person into hands of the
authorities or it can result in prestige. Lower class persons are often evaluated by
their involvement in trouble making activities, such as fighting, drinking and sexual
misbehaviour. In lower class communities, people are evaluated by their actual or
potential involvement in trouble making activity. Getting into trouble includes such
behaviour as fighting, drinking, and sexual misconduct. Not being able to handle
trouble, and having to pay the consequences, can make a person look foolish and
incompetent.

Toughness requires a show of masculinity, a denial of sentimentality, and a display

Smartness: members of the lower class culture want to maintain an image of being
street-wise and savvy, using their street smarts, and having the ability to outfox and
out-con the opponent. Though formal education is not admired, knowing essential
survival technique, such as gambling, conning, and outsmarting the law, is a
requirement.

Excitement: members of the lower class search for fun and excitement to enliven
an otherwise drab existence. The search for excitement may lead to gambling,
fighting, getting drunk, and sexual adventures. In between, the lower-class citizen
may simply hang out and be cool

Fate: lower class citizens believe their lives are in the hands of strong spiritual
forces that guide their destines. Getting lucky, finding good fortune, and hitting the
jackpot are all sum dwellers’ daily.

Autonomy: being independent of authority figures, such as the police, teachers,

Criminologists have been disturbed by miller’s assumption that the lower class
lifestyle is generally focused on illegal activity. In making such assumption, they say,
Miller disregards the fact that most people in the lower class do conform to
conventional norms. Moreover, some criminologists ask, if lower class focal boys are
conforming to their own value system, why would they suffer guilt or shame when
they commit delinquent acts. perhaps the best support for Miller’s ideas is found in
qualitative, rather than quantitative, accounts of life in a lower class slum. In our
discussion of cultural deviance and subcultural theories, we noted that the values
and norms that define behaviour in these areas do not change much over time or
from place to place. Successive generations have to deal with the same problems.
They typically demonstrate similar responses.

( Cohen, 1995) The little amounts of research that have been conducted in favour of
this theory have proven to be complicated to assess its effectiveness in terms of
quantity, and even quality, because the theory focuses on beliefs and attitudes of
lower-class males. On the other hand, I think the Miller’s theory exhibits good
internal logical consistency. It makes sense that lower-class youths are going to
learn how to act by the adults in their social atmospheres, as humans are solely
“products of their environments”. His theory states that the lower-class youth learn
these focal concerns, and then act accordingly (although the carry them out to the
extremes at times), which in turn leads them to act deviantly because they come
into conflict with the norms of society, including the laws. His concepts are clearly
defined, as well as fairly plausible. Thirdly, however, the scope of Miller’s theory is
fairly limited. His solution to the explanations of crime focuses only on the lower-
class, in specific lower-class males. Perhaps if Miller were to incorporate reasons and
explanations for female deviance, and perhaps even make note of race and ethnicity
as a factor, than the scope would widen, in turn only strengthening his theory. In a
positive light, the Focal Concerns Theory is highly parsimonious. I say this because
of its solid logical consistency, as the assumptions of his theory are fairly concrete.
Because he states that “X” leads to “Y”, Miller’s theory is fairly simple, therefore
abiding to the rule of Ockham’s Razor, by allowing his theory to operate on as few
assumptions as possible, while still doing a good job at providing a reasonable
explanation of delinquency and crime. If judged by the levels of testability allowed
by Miller’s theory, it would probably not be considered that strong. In order to test
his hypothesis that crime is committed because these focal concerns are learned in
the lower-class culture, we would have to take surveys to see where and when these
focal concerns were learned, and how/why do they come into conflict with societal
norm, as well as the law.
CONCLUSION

The Focal Concerns Theory emphasizes the roles of social networks by explaining
how other people of the lower-class influence people from the lower-class. The
importance of adhering to the learned focal concerns, or the resulting consequences
of stigmatization if they are not followed, are proof of this. Similarly, Miller’s theory
takes into account the role that reputation plays within the lower-class culture, and
how that affects individuals’ actions within the lower-class environments and
situations5. On the other hand, while Miller’s theory, as well as many other sub-
culture theories, takes into account customs and values of the lower class
population, he fails to take into consideration the issues of money and gender
differences. The Focal Concerns Theory does not take into account that the lower-
class has less money than the middle and upper class as a factor in why crimes are
committed. I am sure that many reports of criminal behaviour from a member of the
lower-class stem from a lack of money, and them simply attempting to acquire
some. The focal concerns that Miller outlines all have to do with the individual and
how the eyes of other lower-class members perceive them, not how they are
perceived by other class members. Also, the fact the focal concerns (toughness,
trouble, excitement) are primarily male oriented, Miller’s theory does not take into
account why females commit crimes. Finally, this theory cannot account for the
reasons why middle-class members commit crime, as well as the white collar crimes
from the upper-class population.
REFERENCES

1. Cohen, Albert. Delinquent Boys (New York: Free press, 1995)pg.19-25

http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/w/m/wmm11/Cultural%20Theories
%20of%20Crime%20and%20Delinquency.htm
3. Miller, Walter. “Lower-class Culture as a Generating Milieu of Gang
Delinquency,” Journal of Social Issues 14 (1958): 5-11
4. Miller, Walter. “Lower-class Culture as a Generating Milieu of Gang
Delinquency,” Journal of Social Issues 14 (1958): 14-17
5. Flowers, Barri R. The Adolescent Criminal: An Examination of Today’s

Juvenile Offender. McFarland & Company, Inc. 108-109