The United States is in the middle of an epidemic in regards to the mass shootings that have occurred in the past few years. The examples that have garnered the most extensive media coverage have followed a similar pattern. Typically the culprits in these acts of terror have been white males in their 20s who have exhibited some form of antisocial behaviors or mental disorders. The major debate that has risen is the question of whether mental illness is the primary cause or whether it should be considered an act of criminal behavior. Is there a difference between the two or are they mutually exclusive? Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory can help us address these issues (the theory was meant to explicate how criminals came to …show more content…
First and foremost, the theory states that criminal behavior is learned, meaning that the behaviors of an individual are influenced and shaped by those they associate with (Clinard & Meier, 2015). The primary reference point here is the nuclear family. Parents teach their children how to walk and talk, who grow up with siblings or in some cases, elderly relatives. With good reason, it is widely held that these interactions create the foundation of the individual’s conception of societal norms and values. That being said, if the individual is capable of assessing proper behavior in society, they are also capable of learning what is considered …show more content…
Differential associations vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity. Referring to the contact an individual must have with proponents of criminal behavior; this principle suggests that there is a varying, but direct, relationship that affects how often, for what length of time, how important, and how intense deviant behavior
Finding strong evidence surrounding this topic could be significant to reducing crime rates and addressing the public health issue. What I have learn from research-based evidence and analyzing social and cultural theories, is that criminal behavior is multifaceted and is influenced by a range of determinants in which surrounds the nature versus nurture debate. I believe that nature and nurture both play significant roles to the making of a criminal.
Akers (2000) states that, “The principle of differential Association is that a person commits criminal acts because he or she has learned “Definitions” (rationalizations and attitudes) favorable to violation of law in “excess” of the definitions unfavorable to violation of law” (p. 73). The key notion of Akers’ theory is that individuals who commit crime, do so because they have educated themselves on various types of behaviors and attitudes that dwell on law-breaking. This also happens to be one of the perceptions included in Sutherland’s Differential Association
The differential association theory by Edwin H. Sutherland, explains why some members of a community become criminals and some do not. This theory is divided into eight principles that outline the reasoning for illicit conducts. In the movie Ocean Elevens, this theory really showcases each of the elements in which crime is fostered through the many characters. In the following paragraphs, I intend on explaining three of the eight differential association’s theory principles and apply them to Ocean’s Eleven.
Secondly, differential association varies based on the intensity, duration, frequency, priority, and timing of one’s process of learning. Through this notion, the individual’s self is disregarded and more emphasis is placed on the extrinsic factors. Furthermore, “it is an individual’s experiences and the ways in which the individual defines those experiences which constitute to the learning of criminality”. (Gongenvare & Dotter, 2007,
Criminals are not born; they are created or molded into individuals who participate in criminal behaviors. There are several factors that influence deviance beginning with social structures, generational values and attitudes and social bonding. The concepts of all five theories briefly clarify why criminals partake in deviant activities; however, I believe three learning theories - Social Disorganization, Differential Association and Hirschi’s Social Bonding - best explain how social structures and interactions correlate with the cultivation of criminals.
Part four of the differential association theory states, when criminal behavior is learned, the learned includes (a) techniques of committing the crime, which are sometimes very complicated, sometimes very simple; (b) the specific direction of motive, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes. Nate and Sam learned to be aggressive and take what you want in life from their father. In order to stay in competition for “Mac Master” they had to use these techniques. Their competitive background resulted in them becoming date rapists to increase their point totals in their sexual competition. A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law. Since the boy’s were raised in an environment that taught aggressive behavior without limits as to what one can achieve, the boys, used this behavior in a negative way and became date rapists. The manner in which the boys were raised was negative; therefore, criminal behavior was enforced as opposed to neutral or positive behavior.
However, three of these propositions can be used to explain the theory. This theory proposes that criminal behavior is learned through associations with others in society. The first important proposition is that criminal behavior is learned. This is ultimately the biggest proposition of this theory as criminal behavior is learned but more importantly it is learned through other people. We do not just inherit criminal behavior but rather learn it through our associations with other people in society. The second important proposition is that “The specific direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or unfavorable” (Sutherland 1992). This lines with the idea that if someone sees the law as something to break then you are more likely to follow those actions. If an individual exposes himself to criminal associations as opposed to those who do not commit delinquent acts, then they are more likely to become delinquent. The third important proposition has to do with exposure. This means that the more frequently one is exposed to criminal acts, the more likely they are to exhibit these traits. This also ties into how early they are exposed to these criminal acts. If one demonstrates criminal behavior at an early age, then those behaviors are more likely to follow as they grow up. These three propositions, in my mind, are
These theories include the anomie, strain, labeling, and social control theories of a crime. Throughout the paper, I will explain what each theory is arguing, while also including its strengths and weaknesses. I will then choose which theory I think explains crime the best. The first theory I will introduce is the anomie theory. This theory challenges biologically based theories by arguing that our internal drives and motives are not impacted in crime, instead crime is motivated by society. Basically, anomie theory eliminates the idea of being born as a criminal based on genetics. To go more in depth, anomie theory suggests that crime is motivated by the “American
In the end all three theories of sociological deviance that I talked about explain the deviant behavior that I was partaking in. I feel that the one that fits the act the most is differential association. The reason that I feel this is that I do not feel that I would have participated in this behavior if it was not for the individuals I was hanging out with at the time.
The first criminological theory, that explains behavior of the drug sellers, is the theory of Differential Association. Differential Association, termed by Edwin Sutherland, argued that persons engage in delinquent behavior because they learn it from society and they engage in it when it benefits them. By this, he is saying that an individual will be a criminal if they experience an excess of criminal definitions over conventional definitions. Sutherland discovered that Differential Association is developed through various stages and he explains such development with the use of nine propositions. (Lily et al. 2011, 48) Such propositions are as follows: (1) criminal behavior is learned, (2) it...
Sutherland would respond to my friend’s comment by saying that differential association is the reason how and why people commit crime. Differential Association is where a person learns criminal behavior through interaction among relationships (family and friends). As people grow and continue to interact with the people around them they learn what is and what is not acceptable in society (“definitions”) (Text, Part IV). Sutherland’s differential association theory has nine key components that explain criminal offending. These nine components are : criminal behavior is learned, it is learned interactions and communication between others, usually learned within well-known groups, when crime is learned techniques and motives are decided, it is learned from legal definitions, excess of incentives will increase the likelihood of criminal behavior, differential associations will fluctuate, there is a process just like with anything else being learned, and finally needs and wants of an individual’s influences a person’s motives/criminal behavior (Lecture and text, CH10).
The adopted mantra from differential association theory is criminal behavior is learned. Therefore social learning theory asserts that criminogenic behavior is learned in both social and nonsocial situations and is role modeled by the people in our immediate environment. The caveat pulled from differential association theory is the people can be trained to follow any pattern of behavior impetus being what is learned and how it is learned. Akers and Burgess whittled Sutherland’s nine propositions down to seven because those are the cues to criminal
Further, in sociology, one of the major theories of delinquency is differential association (Cressey 1955). This means some people learned their ways from ³undesirable² people who they were forced to be in association with and that this association ³warps² their thinking and social attitudes. ³Group counseling, group interaction, and other kinds of group activities can...
Edwin Sutherland created the theory deemed “most influential” in the world of criminal justice; it is known as the theory of differential association, he proposed this theory in 1934. It states that the more you are around criminal behavior; the more likely you are to be involved in criminal behavior. In this paper I will discuss Edwin Sutherland and his theory in more detail.
Sociologist Edwin Sutherland first advanced the idea that an individual undergoes the same basic socialization process in learning conforming and deviant acts (Schaefer 2015). Through cultural transmission, criminal or deviant behavior is learned by interacting with others. This learned behavior also includes motives and rationale for explaining the deviant acts. Sutherland used the term differential association to describe the process through which an individual develops an attitude of favorability to deviant acts that leads to violations of rules, through interactions with social groups. These acts can also include noncriminal deviant acts, such as