Chapter 12 / Sociological Approaches Flashcards
Chicago School
The first school of sociology in the United States; contributed to social disorganization theory, cultural transmission theory, differential association theory, sub-cultural theory, the sociology of deviance, and symbolic interactionism.
anomie
A term coined by Durkheim to describe periods of lawlessness, normlessness, ans unrestrained choice, or a breakdown in social solidarity.
functionalism
In sociology, the idea that society is comparable to a functioning organism with interrelated parts and structures to ensure that the parts work together; functionalists believe that society is based on consensus (shared values, beliefs), not conflict.
social disorganization theory
The theory that a breakdown of the networks, norms, and trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation among residents of neighborhoods can lead to greater crime and violence.
differential association theory
Sutherland’s theory that criminal behavior is learned through the process of social interaction, and that the process includes the learning of criminal skills, motivations, attitudes, and rationalizations.
symbolic interactionism
The Chicago School notion that meaning and reality are socially constructed through the use of sharing of gestures, symbols, or words, which are themselves socially-created symbols that convey socially agreed-upon meanings.
neutralization
An extension of Sutherland’s differential association theory; the notion that criminals learn motivations and rationalizations to justify their criminal behavior.
sociology of deviance
Blends Chicago School symbolic interactionism with views on how crime and deviance are used to maintain social boundaries and/or social control; it examines how certain groups or behaviors come to be viewed as “social problems.”
labeling theory
The theory that the stigma (or label) affixed through the criminalization process may lead individuals to develop a deviant self-images and feel separates from the “normal” community, and thus continue with deviant behavior.
moral panic
Phenomena - socially constructed by the media, politicians, and “moral entrepreneurs” - in which are labelled or stigmatized as the cause of a perceived social problem, resulting in widespread public alarm.
anomie-strain theory
Merton’s theory describing the state of anomie in American society caused by the disjunction (or dysfunction or strain) between the cultural “goals of the American dream” and the institutional means to achieve those goals.
cultural transmission theory
The Chicago School notion that criminal sub-cultures develop their own sub-cultural (criminal) values or norms, which are then transmitted from gang member, and from generation to generation.
general strain theory
Explains delinquent acts by teens from relatively affluent families; teens have more immediate strains than adults, such as physical appearance, popularity, parental discipline, academic performance, and peer pressure to join gangs and participate in delinquent behavior.
institutional-anomie theory
Messner and Rosenfeld’s theory that institutional-anomie (institutional imbalance) is caused by the cultural goals of capitalist society and the failure of social institutions to properly integrate and regulate the pursuit of these goals.
social learning theory
Definitions (values about acceptable and unacceptable behavior) favorable to criminal behavior are learned through differential reinforcement; criminal behavior depends on reward or punishment for past behavior and anticipated consequences of persistence.
social control theory
Rooted in Durkheim’s forces of integration, the Chicago School’s concern with the breakdown in informal social controls; holds that social bonds and informal social controls acts as a restraints on teen delinquency.
social bond theory
Social control theory by Hirschi (based on Durkheim’s concept of the social bond); the four elements of the social bond include attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief.
interactional theory
Thornberry’s theory that both social bond theory and social learning theory are needed to explain criminal behavior, because weakening of the social bond and the social learning of criminal values is interactional or reciprocal (not unidirectional)
life-course-developmental theory
Sampson and Laub’s theory that individuals can be deflected off of the trajectory toward a criminal career by life events (“turning points”) that can lead them to transition out of criminal behavior.
