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Albert K. Cohen's study of delinquent boys is an outstanding example of good writing. The book reviews critically much of the theory and sociologic data of many investigators, and unquestionably the author has had a broad experience in his subject. The major emphasis is on understanding the gangs and their relation to delinquent subcultures. Dr. Cohen describes lucidly, and I think authentically, how the delinquent subcultures evolve from childrens' common
needs for a solution to similar problems. The author questions the theory of pure transmission of delinquency through culture which does not account for the development of multiple new subcultures. There is considerable emphasis on subcultural delinquency among the working class. This is not to be construed as related only to financial status, but also to the kinds of experience this group provides for their children. Acknowledging the lack of sociologic data for middle and higher class delinquency, the author suspects that subcultural delinquency among these classes may be a 'qualitatively different response to qualitatively different problems…'.
The author tries to answer such questions as how do the loyalties and understandings of the subculture arise. He also has asked himself why these subcultures have the content they do and why such groups flourish most in certain parts of the population.
This book does not deal at all with the pathogenesis of individual delinquency apart from groups. Such delinquents evolve in a considerably different pathogenetic milieu from that of the gang or the sociologic subcultural groups. Many collaborative studies of the parents of individual delinquents have demonstrated that parents unconsciously initiate and foster antisocial behavior in a child toward whom they are hostile. A powerful motivation in such parents is their need to achieve vicarious gratification of their own poorly integrated forbidden impulses through sanctioning an acting out in the scapegoat child.