NONCONVERGENT SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF EXPLAINING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR DEAL WITH THE DELINQUENT SUBCULTURE THESIS AND THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY THESIS. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE PSYCHOANALYTICAL EXPLANATIONS OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. MANY TRADITIONAL SOCIAL PROGRAMS, AND SPECIFICALLY GROUP WORK PROGRAMS IN SETTLEMENT HOUSES, SEEM TO BE BASED ON THE DELINQUENT SUBCULTURE THESIS. THE PRIMARY EMPHASIS IN THESE PROGRAMS IS ON RESOCIALIZATION DIRECTED TOWARD CHANGING NORMS AND VALUES OF DELINQUENT YOUTH. THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY THESIS SUGGESTS THAT ALL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY PURSUE VARIOUS LIFETIME GOALS THAT ARE SHAPED AND DEFINED AS LEGITIMATE BY THE CULTURE. MACROSOCIOLOGICAL-LEVEL STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDIA AND THE UNTIED STATES, INSTITUTIONALIZED OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DELINQUENT TO PERFORM DELINQUENT ACTS, AND INSTITUTIONALIZED WAYS OF HANDLING DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR ARE THE MAJOR ISSUES RAISED IN THE ARTICLE. THE KEY DISTINCTON DRAWN IS THAT BETWEEN ANOMIC AND INSTITUTIONALIZED DEVIANCE. WHERE A NORMLESS STATE MAY EXIST FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES, THEY MAY AVOID CONFORMITY TO TRADITIONAL MEANS OF ACHIEVING CULTURAL GOALS. IN INDIA WHERE INDIVIDUAL DEVIANCE IS NOT TOLERATED, GROUPS MAY ACT IN DEVIANCE BECAUSE OF EXISTING INSTITUTIONAL SANCTIONS THAT MAY ALLOW FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF CULTURAL GOALS IN NONTRADITIONAL WAYS. ANOMIC DEVIANCE IS MORE PREVALENT IN THE UNITED STATES, WHILE INSTITUTIONALIZED DEVIANCE IS MORE PREVALENT IN INDIA. A GENERAL SCHEME OF SOCIAL CHANGE AND THE STRUCTURE OF WORK AND FAMILY IN THE SCHEME OF SOCIAL CHANGE ARE EXAMINED IN TABLES. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)