Who pointed to the differential opportunity structures available to lower class young people in different neighborhoods, such as criminal, conflict and retreatist as explanations of crime?

Who pointed to the differential opportunity structures available to lower class young people in different neighborhoods, such as criminal, conflict and retreatist as explanations of crime?

• A. Cloward and Ohlin
• B. Merton
• C. Hirschi
• D. Durkheim

Answer: (A)

The main concept tested is differential opportunity theory, which holds that crime results from unequal access to illegitimate opportunity structures in different neighborhoods, not just from blocked legitimate means. Cloward and Ohlin argued that when youths from lower-class backgrounds face distinct sets of illegitimate opportunities in their communities, they adapt in different ways. In neighborhoods with organized crime networks and accessible illegal career ladders, a criminal subculture can develop. In areas lacking organization but with pressure and instability, a conflict subculture with violence may emerge. Where both legitimate and illegitimate routes are blocked, retreatist behavior—often involving drug use or withdrawal—can dominate. This contrasts with Merton's strain explanation, which centers on blocked legitimate means, and with Hirschi's or Durkheim's focus on social bonds or anomie rather than neighborhood-specific illegitimate opportunities.

The main concept tested is differential opportunity theory, which holds that crime results from unequal access to illegitimate opportunity structures in different neighborhoods, not just from blocked legitimate means. Cloward and Ohlin argued that when youths from lower-class backgrounds face distinct sets of illegitimate opportunities in their communities, they adapt in different ways. In neighborhoods with organized crime networks and accessible illegal career ladders, a criminal subculture can develop. In areas lacking organization but with pressure and instability, a conflict subculture with violence may emerge. Where both legitimate and illegitimate routes are blocked, retreatist behavior—often involving drug use or withdrawal—can dominate. This contrasts with Merton's strain explanation, which centers on blocked legitimate means, and with Hirschi's or Durkheim's focus on social bonds or anomie rather than neighborhood-specific illegitimate opportunities.