Module Five Journal
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Southern New Hampshire University *
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Jan 9, 2024
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Module Five Journal
CJ 340: Criminology
Southern New Hampshire University
Professor Kevin Weston
November 26, 2023
“
Culture is a term that refers to a large and diverse set of mostly intangible aspects of
social life. According to sociologists, culture consists of the values, beliefs, systems of language,
communication, and practices that people share in common and that can be used to define them
as a collective” (Cole, 2019). Cultural values are important in regard to delinquency and crime as
the values can impact the actions and motivation of different cultural groups. “Some cultural
values, such as achievement, individualism, monetary fetishism, and universalism, can create
economic inequality and social strain, which can lead to higher rates of crime. (Padowitz,
2017).
Laws are a reflection of cultural views and values, and are structured to maintain order
and control behavior in a community. According to Temple University Beasley School of Law
(n.d.), the relationship between law and culture is not always harmonious. There are times when
laws may conflict with cultural values, leading to social unrest and political upheaval.
In every cultural group you can identify subcultures. Subcultures are a group of people
within a larger cultural group that exhibit characteristic patterns, behaviors, values, and social
norms that differentiate from the larger cultural group. According to Nagle (n.d.), subcultures
emerge because there is conflict between people with opposing views or norms, the dominant
culture does not meet the needs of members of the subculture, people feel different, excluded, or
ignored, and subcultures manage status problems by establishing new norms that do not imitate
to the dominant culture’s norms. A subculture can compare to two countries with different
criminal laws as both the dominant culture and subculture have their own values and beliefs, just
as two countries would have. Subculture theories explain criminal behavior as normal learned
behavior. “Subcultural theories tend to focus on class and ethnic cultures, including lower social
class, inner-city communities, and even rural southern subcultures” (Black, 2014).
References
Black, P. (2014, January 22). Subcultural Theories of Crime. Wiley Online Library.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118517383.wbeccj254
Cole, L. (2019, August 01). So What Is Culture, Exactly? ThoughtCo.
https://www.thoughtco.com/culture-definition-4135409
Nagle, C. (n.d.). Why Subcultures are Dangerous and How They Emerge. Method Teaming.
https://methodteaming.com/learn/why-subcultures-are-dangerous-and-how-they-emerge/
Padowitz, K. (2017). Cultural Influence on Crime. Psychology of Law and Criminal Behavior.
https://www.psychology-criminalbehavior-law.com/2017/02/cultural-influence-on-crime/
Temple University Beasley School of Law. (n.d). The Role of Law in Advancing a Culture of
Health. Center for Public Health Law Research.
https://phlr.org/role-law-advancing-
culture-health
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