What do Cloward and Ohlin's three subcultures demonstrate?

Cloward and Ohlin's theory emphasizes how individuals adapt to their social environments, particularly in the face of limited legitimate opportunities. Specifically, they propose that the youth who experience blocked access to conventional success paths tend to form distinct subcultures as a response. These subcultures represent different ways of coping with the strain of not being able to achieve societal goals through approved means.

The subcultures identified by Cloward and Ohlin are the criminal, conflict, and retreatist subcultures. Each of these reflects a response to the absence of legitimate means of achieving success. For instance, the criminal subculture develops where there is an opportunity structure for organized crime; the conflict subculture arises in communities where violence is used to establish status; and the retreatist subculture emerges among those who withdraw completely from the societal race for success. This framework illustrates the link between social structure and individual behaviors, highlighting that responses to a lack of legitimate opportunities can creatively manifest in different subcultures, influencing the type of deviance exhibited by individuals.