This episode looks to explore subcultural theories in sociology, explaining why groups, particularly young people, engage in crime and deviance. They build upon earlier ideas of individual strain by focusing on collective responses to a lack of legitimate opportunities. Albert Cohen's theory of status frustration highlights how working-class boys, failing in mainstream systems, form delinquent subcultures that invert societal values to gain status. Following this, Cloward and Ohlin expand on these ideas by identifying three distinct types of subcultures—criminal, conflict, and retreatist—positing that the specific form of subculture is dependent on the illegitimate opportunities present in a given area. Together, these theories illustrate how group formation and shared values contribute to deviant behaviour when conventional paths to success are blocked.