Albert K. Cohen: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|American criminologist}} |
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'''Albert |
'''Albert Kircidel Cohen''' (June 15, 1918 – November 25, 2014) was a prominent American [[criminology|criminologist]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Obituaries|journal=American Sociological Association|date=February 2015|volume=45|issue=2|url=http://www.asanet.org/footnotes/feb15/obit_0215.html|accessdate=3 April 2015}}</ref> He is known for his [[subcultural theory|Subcultural Theory]] of [[Juvenile delinquency|delinquent]] urban gangs, including his influential book ''Delinquent Boys: Culture of the Gang.'' He has served as Vice President of the [[American Society of Criminology]] from 1984–1985<ref>{{cite journal|title=ASC Officers by Office|journal=American Society of Criminology|date=2016|url=http://www.asc41.com/Ascbyoffices.htm|accessdate=29 January 2016|archive-date=3 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603214829/https://www.asc41.com/Ascbyoffices.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and in 1993 he received the society's [[Edwin H. Sutherland]] award.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cavendar|date=March 1994|title=Doing Theory: An Interview with Albert K. Cohen|journal=American Journal of Criminal Justice|publisher=Springer|location=Boston, MA|volume=18|issue=1|pages=153–167|doi=10.1007/BF02887644|s2cid=189910491|issn=1066-2316}}</ref> |
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==Work== |
==Work== |
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| ⚫ | Albert Cohen was a student of [[Talcott Parsons]]<ref>{{cite journal|title=Obituaries|journal=American Sociological Association|date=February 2015|volume=45|issue=2|url=http://www.asanet.org/footnotes/feb15/obit_0215.html|accessdate=3 April 2015}}</ref> and wrote a Ph.D. under his inspiration. Parsons and Cohen continued to correspond also after Cohen left Harvard. In his 1955 work, ''Delinquent Boys: The Culture of the Gang'',<ref>{{cite journal|title=Delinquent Boys|date=1955|url=https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/abstractdb/AbstractDBDetails.aspx?id=148589}}</ref> Cohen wrote about delinquent gangs and suggested in his theoretical discussion how such gangs attempted to "replace" society's common norms and values with their own sub-cultures. He proposed two basic ideologies, the first of which is called status frustration. |
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{{BLP unsourced section|date=January 2010}} |
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| ⚫ | Albert Cohen was a student of [[Talcott Parsons]] and wrote a Ph.D. under his inspiration. Parsons and Cohen continued to correspond also after Cohen left Harvard. Cohen wrote about delinquent gangs and suggested in his theoretical discussion how such gangs attempted to "replace" |
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Status frustration is directed mainly to the young people of lower classes. There is no parallel between their own social realities and the rest of society's promoted goals. They become frustrated at the disadvantages and inequalities that they face, and this leads to |
Status frustration is directed mainly to the young people of lower classes. There is no parallel between their own social realities and the rest of society's promoted goals. They become frustrated at the disadvantages and inequalities that they face, and this leads to Cohen's second principle; reaction formation. |
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Reaction formation is the reaction from status frustration, and the young men of the lower classes find themselves replacing their society's norms and values with alternative ones. I.e. instead of working hard being the common goal for respect, it may become a delinquent act like who commits the most vandalism to gain the respect. This provides the group with a sense of values and status which they cannot receive from the larger society. It is a process which allows the members of the groups to adapt to their own exclusion from society. Unlike Merton's strain theory, Cohen holds the view that the reaction to status frustration is a collective response rather than an individual one. |
Reaction formation is the reaction from status frustration, and the young men of the lower classes find themselves replacing their society's norms and values with alternative ones. I.e. instead of working hard being the common goal for respect, it may become a delinquent act like who commits the most vandalism to gain the respect. This provides the group with a sense of values and status which they cannot receive from the larger society. It is a process which allows the members of the groups to adapt to their own exclusion from society. Unlike Merton's strain theory, Cohen holds the view that the reaction to status frustration is a collective response rather than an individual one. |
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This theory accounts for the increasing rates of non-utilitarian crime ([[vandalism]], [[loitering]] and [[Joyride (crime)|joyriding]]) in western societies. Although actions such as these do not provide monetary gain to the perpetrator, they come to hold value to members of the sub-culture. As such, becoming accessible means of achieving status and prestige among the individual's peer group. |
This theory accounts for the increasing rates of non-utilitarian crime ([[vandalism]], [[loitering]] and [[Joyride (crime)|joyriding]]) in western societies. Although actions such as these do not provide monetary gain to the perpetrator, they come to hold value to members of the sub-culture. As such, becoming accessible means of achieving status and prestige among the individual's peer group. |
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==Personal |
==Personal history== |
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Albert Cohen graduated from Harvard University with honors in sociology in 1948. Expecting to be heavily recruited by graduate schools around the nation, Cohen sent applications to the leading programs. Inexplicably, he was not admitted to any of the top departments and only the University of Maryland provided any reasoning. Their letter of rejection included some phrasing congratulating Cohen on his accomplishments at Harvard, but remarked "...regrettably it is the policy of the University of Maryland not to employ Jews". Subsequently, Cohen applied for a position at Indiana University in Bloomington. The sociology department at that time was run by the legendary Edwin Sutherland and faculty included Alfred Lindesmith, Frank Westie, Anselm Strauss, Karl Schuessler, and Clifford Kirkpatrick. Legend has it Lindesmith and Schuessler, after seeing his application, approached Sutherland pleading Cohen's case. It was Sutherland who decided to employ Albert Cohen in the face of administrative policy at that time which restricted Jews and routinely denied African-Americans admission. Sutherland, a liberal whose gruff exterior never resembled his political sentiments, chided his faculty colleagues saying "What are you guys, a bunch of do-gooders?" |
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Albert Cohen graduated from Harvard University with honors in sociology in 1948. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Authority control |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME = Cohen, Albert K. |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = June 15, 1918 |
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| DATE OF DEATH = |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Albert K.}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Albert K.}} |
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[[Category:American criminologists]] |
[[Category:American criminologists]] |
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[[Category:1918 births]] |
[[Category:1918 births]] |
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[[Category:Harvard University alumni]] |
[[Category:Harvard University alumni]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:2014 deaths]] |
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[[Category:American Jews]] |
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Latest revision as of 07:24, 24 August 2023
Albert Kircidel Cohen (June 15, 1918 – November 25, 2014) was a prominent American criminologist.[1] He is known for his Subcultural Theory of delinquent urban gangs, including his influential book Delinquent Boys: Culture of the Gang. He has served as Vice President of the American Society of Criminology from 1984–1985[2] and in 1993 he received the society's Edwin H. Sutherland award.[3]
Work
[edit]Albert Cohen was a student of Talcott Parsons[4] and wrote a Ph.D. under his inspiration. Parsons and Cohen continued to correspond also after Cohen left Harvard. In his 1955 work, Delinquent Boys: The Culture of the Gang,[5] Cohen wrote about delinquent gangs and suggested in his theoretical discussion how such gangs attempted to "replace" society's common norms and values with their own sub-cultures. He proposed two basic ideologies, the first of which is called status frustration.
Status frustration is directed mainly to the young people of lower classes. There is no parallel between their own social realities and the rest of society's promoted goals. They become frustrated at the disadvantages and inequalities that they face, and this leads to Cohen's second principle; reaction formation.
Reaction formation is the reaction from status frustration, and the young men of the lower classes find themselves replacing their society's norms and values with alternative ones. I.e. instead of working hard being the common goal for respect, it may become a delinquent act like who commits the most vandalism to gain the respect. This provides the group with a sense of values and status which they cannot receive from the larger society. It is a process which allows the members of the groups to adapt to their own exclusion from society. Unlike Merton's strain theory, Cohen holds the view that the reaction to status frustration is a collective response rather than an individual one.
This theory accounts for the increasing rates of non-utilitarian crime (vandalism, loitering and joyriding) in western societies. Although actions such as these do not provide monetary gain to the perpetrator, they come to hold value to members of the sub-culture. As such, becoming accessible means of achieving status and prestige among the individual's peer group.
Personal history
[edit]Albert Cohen graduated from Harvard University with honors in sociology in 1948.
References
[edit]
- ^ "Obituaries". American Sociological Association. 45 (2). February 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ "ASC Officers by Office". American Society of Criminology. 2016. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- ^ Cavendar (March 1994). "Doing Theory: An Interview with Albert K. Cohen". American Journal of Criminal Justice. 18 (1). Boston, MA: Springer: 153–167. doi:10.1007/BF02887644. ISSN 1066-2316. S2CID 189910491.
- ^ "Obituaries". American Sociological Association. 45 (2). February 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
- ^ "Delinquent Boys". 1955.
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