A theory that sought to move away from individual pathologizing as a reason for crime

Criminal acts must be analyzed as conflicts between norms. For every person there is a right (normal) and wrong (abnormal)  way of acting in specific situations - behaviour codes or conduct norms

Societies contain different different groups whose norms of conduct are to some extent divergent

Conduct norms are defined by the groups to which the individual belongs.  Every group one belongs to, regardless of political boundaries, regardless of embodiment in law, has conduct norms

Divergent cultures who come into direct contact within same society or between societies will result in conflict

Culture Conflict is the inevitable result of conflict between conduct norms

Conflict is increased whenever one culture is able to have its beliefs and practices protected by inclusion in the criminal code of the society, that is where one culture's conduct norms are dominant

Dominant groups are able to impose their vision of cultural reality upon weaker groups, which results in deeming the behaviours of the less powerful groups as deviant/criminal

Conflicting cultural norms simply give more occasion for crime and deviance to occur

Crime is just one form of conduct norm violations

Power is the principal determinant of the outcome of this conflict

Deviance is conceptualized not as abnormal behavior but as a normal, political process brought about by inter-group struggle for dominance