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Walter B. Miller's Focal Concern Theory

1070 Words5 Pages

In 1958 Walter B. Miller came up with a theory in order to explain the subculture in low-income neighborhood. The theory was called the focal concerns theory, and was divided into six different concepts that Miller thought explained the subculture in Low-income neighborhoods. In the movie Carlito’s way we are shown how some scenes correlate to Miller’s Focal concern theory, and explain the actions that the main character Carlito takes. Trouble, Toughness, smartness, fate, and autonomy are five out of the six focal concerns theory that Miller used in explaining the development of the subculture that existed in low-income neighborhoods, and the reasons why youth in these neighborhoods acted in the fashion that they did (Miller, W. B. 1958, pg.7). …show more content…

Miller’s article “Lower class culture as a generating milieu of gang delinquency” the focal concerns theory explain what each of the six focal concerns focuses on. Trouble in the focal concerns theory refers to the behavior of acting in a matter that brings conflict for the person with people in authority, such as police officer, as well as those in the middle class of society (Miller, W. B. 1958, pg.8). For men trouble tends to have a major focus on fighting, “sexual adventures with women”, and for women it represents sexual involvement that yield unwanted consequences, such as an unplanned pregnancy (Miller, W. B. 1958,

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