Citation

Lerman P. Am. J. Sociol. 1967; 73(1): 63-72.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1967, University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/224436

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Major theorists have tended to equate peer-based delinquency and gang delinquency. Acceptance of this assumption hinders theoretical and empirical understanding of deviant youth cultures. Subcultural delinquency involves shared symbols-such as deviant values and speech-as well as behavior that is potentially noticeable by officials. Through the utilization of separate measures of shared symbolic deviance and interaction patterns, evidence is presented to support the contention that the cultural and social boundaries of a deviant youth culture have distinct referents and that the social unit of a subculture is most accurately described as a network of pairs, triads, groups with names, and groups without names.

Language: en