the same family guidance as did Tre,
and therefore he was only able to draw upon the values
of his group of friends and therefore, made what he considered was the right
decision, that of getting revenge for his friend’s death.  This evidently demonstrates a form of neutralization, whereby Doughboy felt
his actions were accounted for at the time because revenge is an encouraged
behaviour and a social norm in his environment.

Social Structures &

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            Within the context of the movie Boyz N the Hood, it is also important to
explore some of the social structures that divide society into different sub-cultures
and social classes.  The movie takes
place in a lower-class community, where there is a concentration of marginalized
African-American people living in the area. 
Within many of the different sub-cultures of Western societies, there are
established social divisions as well as associated
sets of norms and values.  These divisions create limitations to those who cannot meet
the middle-class standards and affect their opportunities of becoming
contributing members of society. 

            According to Merton’s (1938)
explanations of the strain theory, anomie and structural theory, deviance can often be linked to “culturally
defined goals, purposes, and interests… the social structure defines,
regulates, and controls the acceptable modes of achieving these goals” (Merton,
1938: 672-673).  In relating Merton’s theories to Boyz
N the Hood, Doughboy is an
example of an individual who demonstrate that the
conventional means of moving ahead in society are not always necessary
for attaining goals, as he resorts to violence and drug sales in order to gain
social capital in his community.  Another
example of how social structures can create strain on these individuals is displayed
when Ricky is offered a football
University scholarship, but