Concept information
Preferred term
focal concerns theory
Definition
- Focal concerns theory, as posited by Walter B. Miller (1920–2004), attempts to explain the behavior of adolescent street corner groups in lower-class communities as based on six focal concerns: trouble, toughness, smartness, excitement, fate, and autonomy. Miller's theory views these criminogenic influences as a learned part of the lower-class subcultural values rather than as an anomic reaction to unattainable goals. [Source: Encyclopedia of Social Deviance; Focal Concerns Theory]
Broader concept
Belongs to group
URI
https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/focal_concerns_theory
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