The Subculture of Violence: Towards an Integrated Theory in Criminology

The "Subculture of Violence" theory, proposed by Marvin Wolfgang and Franco Ferracuti, suggests that violence is a learned behavior within certain subcultures. This theory posits that in these specific social environments, violence is an acceptable and even expected response to certain situations. It integrates concepts from differential association and anomie theories, proposing that individuals may adopt alternative moral values and expectations if they cannot achieve societal goals through legitimate means. This perspective has been debated, with some arguing that gang behavior reflects widespread lower-class values rather than a distinct subculture.1