Miller’s

Lower-class
Focal Concerns
Presented By:
Abigail Hall
Kaaughhn Hinds
Group 6 Aaliah Ramsay
January 15, 2020 Toni-Ann
Ginelle Morrison
Objectives
At the end of this presentation, you should be able to:
Define ‘crime’ and ‘deviance’;
Define and explain Miller’s Theory;
Discus the evaluation of Miller’s Theory; and
Describe the strengths and limitations of the theory.
 What is Crime?
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some
governing authority can ultimately prescribe a
conviction.
 What is Deviance?
Deviance is the actions or behaviors that violate
informal social norms or formally-enacted rules. 
 What is Miller Lower-class
Focal Concerns?
The focal concerns theory, posited in 1962 by Walter B.
Miller, attempts to explain the behavior of "members
of adolescent street corner groups in lower class
communities" as concern for six focal concerns:
trouble, toughness, smartness, excitement, fate
and autonomy.
Miller described these focal concerns as "areas or issues
which command widespread and persistent attention
and a high degree of emotional involvement."
Miller's theory, as it is often referred to, views these
criminogenic influences as a learned part of the lower-
class subculture values. In essence, the theory suggests
that delinquency is in fact part of the learned cultural
values rather than an anomic reaction to unattainable
goals.
Evaluation of Lower-class Focal
Concerns
Although subsequent sociologists have found evidence
of some of Miller's focal concerns in working-class
communities, it is not clear that what Miller refers to
as the "lower class" really does have such distinct
norms and values from the rest of society.  Indeed, the
argument that they might rather contradicts the
classic functionalist idea that the various institutions
in society ensure social solidarity and value consensus.
 Again, Miller just talks about boys without really
considering gender. Some feminist critics have pointed
out that these focal concerns might be masculine
values rather than lower-class ones! However, an
alternative view is that many of these "concerns" are
also those of working-class girls, and therefore might
be features of "lower-class" values or indeed of youth
in general. Indeed, as suggested by David Matza,
perhaps we all share such "deviant" values but learn
not to act on them.
Strengths of Miller Lower-class
Focal Concerns
The strengths of this theory is that it fits in well with
the people who are decrying the downfall of nuclear
family an problems of single-parents (especially
female) families.
Criticisms of Miller Lower-class
Focal Concerns
The primary criticism is that the theory rest heavily on
the existence of distinctive lower-class culture, which
has values distinct from, and in conflict with middle-
class values.
Another, often overlooked criticism is that it does not
really explain criminality. It does explain (or purport to
explain) lower-class culture; but it does not necessarily
explain an delinquency or crime within the theory.
Finally, there are serious problems in
operationalization of the focal concerns. Although
Miler does explain what he meant by the focal
concerns, he does not say that they may be accurately
measured.
Summery of Miller’s Theory
References
(n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2020, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqJTdFMZoWE.
Boundless. (n.d.). Boundless Sociology. Retrieved from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-
sociology/chapter/deviance/.
Boundless. (n.d.). Boundless Sociology. Retrieved from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-
sociology/chapter/crime/.
Focal concerns theory. (2018, September 26). Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_concerns_theory.
Mustapha, N. (2009). Sociology for Caribbean Students.
Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers.