- Cohen, Albert
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▪ American criminologistborn June 15, 1918, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.American criminologist best known for his subcultural theory of delinquent gangs. In 1993 Cohen received the Edwin H. Sutherland Award from the American Society of Criminology for his outstanding contributions to criminological theory and research.Cohen earned an M.A. in sociology from Indiana University (1942) and a Ph.D. in sociology from Harvard University (1951). In 1965, after having taught at Indiana University for 18 years, he joined the faculty of the University of Connecticut, where he served as professor of sociology until his retirement in 1988.As a graduate student, Cohen studied under Edwin H. Sutherland (Sutherland, Edwin) and Robert K. Merton (Merton, Robert K.), who had developed the two leading theories in criminology, on normal learning and social structure, respectively. In Delinquent Boys: The Culture of the Gang (1955), Cohen tied these divergent approaches together in a single theory. Proposing a general theory of subcultures, Cohen argued that similar ideas tend to arise among people who experience similar social circumstances. He maintained that delinquent youths generally lack the means to achieve social status along conventional lines, and in response they form groups (gangs) that invert the conventional expectations in terms of which status is achieved. For example, whereas conventional society confers status for academic achievement, gangs confer status for academic failure.Thomas J. Bernard▪ Greek-born French-Jewish author and diplomatborn Aug. 16, 1895, Corfu, Greecedied Oct. 17, 1981, Geneva, Switz.Greek-born French-Jewish novelist, journalist, and diplomat who secured his reputation with a trilogy written over the course of 38 years.From 1900 Cohen was reared in Marseilles, France. He studied law in Geneva, became a Swiss citizen, and began a career as a writer and as a civil servant, notably with the International Labour Organisation of the United Nations. In 1921 he published Paroles juives, an examination of Judaism, Jewry, and Israel.The title character of Solal (1930), Cohen's first novel, struggles to synthesize his Jewish upbringing with his role as a French-based international diplomat. His story continues in Mangeclous (1938) and Belle du seigneur (1968) as Solal seeks to offset this inner turmoil by redirecting his idealism to his beloved Ariane. Characterized by a leisurely style, the trilogy is an epic study of a tragic hero. Among Cohen's other works are the one-act play Ezéchiel (1927) and the memoirs Livre de ma mère (1954; Book of My Mother), O vous, frères humains (1972), and Carnets (1978). Much of his work appeared in the posthumous anthology Oeuvres (1994).
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Universalium. 2010.
