Them and us: A comparison of the cultural context of American gangs and British subcultures

We examine and compare two distinct forms of social deviance which have emerged in two western societies. The United States has been the home of the street gang while Great Britain since World War II has produced several waves of national subculture. We examine the history, geography, educational experience, structure and implicit ideologies of gangs and subcultures in relation to their host countries. United States gangs sprang historically from ethnic ghettos where they provided an opportunity network from recently arrived immigrants. They continue to embody many traditional mainstream values (consumerism, patriotism, elitism and competitive success) recreating them in a distorted form on the street. British subcultures emerged as a response to a class‐based society and represent a ritual resistance to the status quo, forcefully rejecting mainstream values. We argue that the form which social deviance takes depends intimately upon the society which gives rise to them.