Occupational Structure, Social Learning, and Adolescent Violence 1

This chapter focuses on Ronald L.Akers' social structure and social learning (SSSL) model of delinquency and addresses the gap by developing a more explicit conceptual and operational focus on labor market opportunity, adolescent violence, and potentially mediating social learning and family processes. It extends the literature by testing a social learning model of subcultural formation and violence among adolescents that has its roots in local labor market conditions and opportunity. The chapter reviews the key issues that have hindered subcultural perspectives and analyses, and describes the conceptual model that underlies the research. It tests SSSL model on a nationally representative sample of adolescents. The chapter discusses the potential effect of local labor market structure on social learning and, consequently, adolescent fighting—a clear-cut manifestation and indicator of violence. It concludes by discussing the implications of these results and SSSL model for the study of adolescent delinquency specifically, and for theories pertaining to structural opportunity, social learning processes, and violence generally.