2.1 Flashcards
What question do control theorists ask?
Why don’t people commit crime?
What are the 2 control theories?
- Containment theory - Walter Reckless
- Social bond theory - Travis Hirschi
What are the 2 types of containment and what are they?
- Inner containment (main focus)- internal control eg, self control - helps to resist external pressures towards deviancy
- Outer containment - external control eg, supportive families - where an environment discourages deviant behaviour
What are the 4 key features of inner containment and what are they?
- Self concept - if you value yourself you are less likely to give in to external pressures towards deviancy
- Goal orientation - set socially acceptable goals for a focus and sense of purpose helps to reduce deviant shortcuts to success
- Frustration tolerance - cope with stress without deviancy and help withstand pressures and avoid impulsivity
- Norm retention - internalisation of social norms deters individuals from deviancy
What did reckless realise life contained?
Temptations - push and pull factors of crime (points to importance of parenting and socialisation
What are the 4 social bonds?
- Beliefs - accepting social norms and respecting authority will discourage individuals from crime
- Attachments - strong attachments cause conformity as they don’t want to disappoint their relationships
- Commitments - education, career, and family life can cause individuals to have more to lose if they engage in deviancy
- Involvement - sports, work, and hobbies will make them less likely to be involved in criminal activity as they don’t have the time and they are less likely to spend time with delinquent peers
What are the 2 types of social control
- Internal
- External
How is internal social control created?
- Primary socialisation - developed at ages 0-5 years and is delivered by the family
- Secondary socialisation - developed throughout your life and is delivered by peers and education
What are the 3 forms of internal social control?
- Rational ideology
- Tradition
- Internalisation of social norms and morality
What is rational ideology with example?
Where people accept ruling ideology based on logical reasoning. People used to be controlled by religious codes of behaviour but that was replaced by legal frameworks eg Ten Commandments
Example: someone doesn’t commit murder because they rationally understand that life is sacred law is there to protect life
What is tradition with example?
Beliefs passed from generation to generation. This gives people a sense of belonging so people conform as they do not want to disappoint their relationships they have built
Example: Buddhist tradition of Ahmisa is to not eat meat so they do not cause harm to living creatures
What is internalisation of social rules and mortality with example?
Internalising social norms and values through proper socialisation (primary and secondary) to give someone a sense of right and wrong. The conscience will limit deviant acts because sanctions will be feelings of guilt and shame
Example: avoiding theft because you are socialised to accept that it is unfair and immoral
What are the 2 forms of external social control?
- Coercion
- Fear of punishment (deterrence)
What is coercion?
Persuading and compelling society to conform to the law. This can be done through physical coercion (police handcuffing when arresting, imprisonments, riots) or non-violent coercion (psychological pressure, threats of harm, withholding rewards eg strikes)
What is deterrence?
General deterrence is instilling fear in the wider population to prevent crime eg, police patrols create a visible presence of the law which prevents the public from committing crime as the fear of getting caught increases.
Individual deterrence is a fear of direct consequences that will follow their actions eg, 9 points on driving license will discourage further driving offences due to fear of losing their licence.
