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Social Process and Learning Theory (Social bonding theory - Travis Hirschi…
Social Process and Learning Theory
Social Process Theories
Control theories explain how personal and socialisation factors prevent individuals from engaging in criminal behaviour
Learning theories explain how and why individuals learn from significant others to engage in criminal behaviour
Both focus on individuals' interactions with other individuals and groups
And how these interactions lead to a propensity for criminal or conventional behaviour
Socialisation, or the lack thereof, as the key cause of criminal behaviour
Control Theories
Basics
Deviant behaviour is to be expected, is 'normal'
Why do individuals not commit crime? - theory of conformity
Human behaviour must be restrained and regulated for the benefit of all
Humans are bound to societal rules ('moral order') through the process of socialisation
The bond is composed of elements that maintain and strengthen conformity (e.g. attachment to relevant others, belief in societal values)
When these elements become weak or disappear, individuals have more freedom to pursue deviant behaviour
Early control theories of human behaviour
Thomas Hobbes
Emile Durkheim
Sigmund Freud
Early control theories of crime
Reiss' control theory (1951) - delinquency
Toby's concept of stake in conformity (1957)
Nye's control theory (1958)
Reckless' containment theory (1964)
Modern social control theories
Matza's drift theory (1964(
Hirchi's social bonding theory (1969)
Integrated social control theories
Tittle's control-balance theory (1995)
Hagan's power-control theory (1989)
Hirschi and Gottfredson's general theory of low self-control (1990)
Developments of control theory
Self-control 'explains' an individuals propensity to commit crime
Emphasis on individual's ability to control themselves
Need for adequate socialisation (i.e. social controls) and reduction of criminal opportunities
General theories of crime (Hirschi and Gottfredson, 1990)
Need to differentiate between an individual being able to offend and wanting to offend
Effective child rearing and socialisation can create self-control, which must be established by age 10
Learning theories
Basics
People are born with no tendency toward of away from committing crime ('tabula rasa' or blank state)
Criminal behaviour is learned through cultural norms
Influence on peers and significant others on an individuals behaviour
Examples of learning theories
Sutherland's differential association theory (1939; 1947)
Glaser's differential identification theory (1956)
Jeffrey's differential reinforcement theory (1965)
Akers' social learning theory (Akers and Burgess, 1966; Akers, 1985)
Differential association theory - Edwin H. Sutherland's (1883-1950)
Statistical information and life history approach
Criminal behaviour is learned in the same way as any other behaviour
Learning takes place in social settings and through what the people in those settings communicate
The largest part of learning takes place in communication with those who're the most important to us ('significant others')
Individuals learn through associations between stimuli and responses (classical conditioning - Pavlov's dog)
The intimate social environment provides a setting for learning the actual way to accomplish a behaviour (the 'hows') and the values or definitions concerning a particular behaviour is in opposition to the legal codes
Some groups in society have more values in opposition to the legal codes than others and thus higher crime rates
Radical departure from previous theories - anyone could become a criminal
Highly positive, deterministic theory - no allowance for free will and rational decision-making
Supported by much research
An individual man engage in criminal activity without being taught, and then seek out others with similar attitudes and behaviour - occurrence of both casual processes
Use of one type of learning model (classical conditioning)
Social Learning Theory - Ronald Akers (1939-)
Two concepts involved in learning behaviour, i.e reinforcement and punishment
Criminal behaviour is learned through material and social reinforcements (as any other behaviour), and through past and present experiences
Social reinforcements serve both as factors in learning deviant behaviour and in setting the values that define behaviour as good or bad
Learns deviance can be strengthened by reinforcement or weakened by punishment
Material reinforcements are often provided by crime itself - explains relationship between deprivation and crime
Differential Reinforcement Theory
Skinner - Operant Conditioning
Bandura's Theory of Modelling and Imitation
Neutralisation Theory
Individuals do accept the dominant norms and commit to the dominant social order yet they drift between two extremes of conformity and conformity, in a state of transience.
Social bonding theory - Travis Hirschi (1932-2017)
(Rational) self-interest appears to be overstated as a cause of crime (as with Classicism)
Potentially socially conservative/paternalistic (e.g. 'families'/poor parenting are the cause of all social disorder, women should stay at home and not work)
Ignores crimes of the powerful and very different motivations behind offending
Ignores role of structural factors in creating or controlling crime (e.g. class, law, law enforcers)
Explanation of why individuals start offending, not of why they continue or escalate in their offending
For the most part, supported by research
Social bonds include:
Moral beliefs (those concerning the laws and rules of society)
Involvement (time spent in conventional activities)
Commitment (investment in conventional society to gain rewards)
Attachment (emotional bond with significant others)
The stronger the social bond, the lower the likelihood to commit a crime
Deviance is 'normal', but most people can be adequately socialised
Self-reported survey around ideas, beliefs and offending
Based on research with 4,000 12-17 year olds