Chapter 15: Sociological Theories (Social Process Theories) Pt. 1

Question 1

What do social process theories explore?

Answer 1

how people learn criminal behavior, neutralize the stigma of engaging in criminal behavior, and rationalize their conduct

Question 2

What are the major risk factors according to social process theories?

Answer 2

(1) peer group pressure
(2) family problems
(3) poor school performance
(4) stigmatization processes
(5) the learning of pro/anti crime values

Question 3

What is the assumption made by social process theories?

Answer 3

they assume that all individuals (regardless of class) have the potential to become criminals

Question 4

What are the different types of social process theories?

Answer 4

(1) Differential Association Theory
(2) Sykes and Matza’s Techniques of Neutralization
(3) Hirsch’s Social Bonds Theory
(4) Gottfredson and Hirscho’s “General Theory of Crime”
(5) Labeling Theory

Question 5

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(1) criminal behavior is _________

Answer 5

learned

Question 6

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(2) criminal behavior is learned in interaction with others in a process of ______________

Answer 6

communication

Question 7

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(3) the principle part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs within ________ _________ _______

Answer 7

intimate personal groups

Question 8

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(4) when criminal behavior is learned, the learning includes ?

Answer 8

(1) techniques of committing the crime, which can be simple or complicated
(2) the specific directions the motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes

Question 9

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(5) the specific direction of the ________ and ______ is learned from definitions of the legal code as favorable or unfavorable

Answer 9

motives

drives

Question 10

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(5) the specific direction of the motives and drives is learned from definitions of the ______ _____ as favorable or unfavorable

Answer 10

legal code

Question 11

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(5) the specific direction of the motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal code as __________ or ___________

Answer 11

favorable

unfavorable

Question 12

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(6) a person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions __________ to violations of the law over definitions __________ to violation of the law

Answer 12

favorable

unfavorable

Question 13

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(7) ___________ ___________ may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity

Answer 13

differential associations

Question 14

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(7) differential associations may vary in __________, ________, ________, and _________

Answer 14

frequency
duration
priority
intensity

Question 15

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(8) the process of learning criminal behavior by association with _________ and ____-________ patterns involves all of the same mechanism that are involved in any other learning

Answer 15

criminal

anti-criminal

Question 16

The 9 principles/propositions of Differential Association Theory:
(9) while criminal behavior is an expression of ________ needs and values, it’s not explained by those ________ needs and values, since non-criminal behavior is an expression of the same needs and values

Answer 16

personal

general

Question 17

Differential Association Theory challenged the prevailing thought that?

Answer 17

(1) crime was an inherited trait that led to a genetic predisposition toward criminality
(2) crime was a lower class phenomena
(3) poverty and greed caused crime

Question 18

According to Differential Association theory, what is the fundamental cause of criminal behavior?

Answer 18

cultural conflict

Question 19

Why does Differential Association theory remain dominant today?

Answer 19

(1) it’s a general theory of crime that is applicable to all from of criminal behavior
(2) it spans multiple units of analysis
(3) the theory is appealing to most social scientists because of its emphasis on learning rather than innate predisposition as casual forces for human behavior

Question 20

What is the assumption that the techniques of neutralization theory makes?

Answer 20

criminals and non-criminals share the same views about the wrongfulness of various conduct

Question 21

Criminals and non-criminals share the same views about the wrongfulness of various conduct.
If this is the case then why do people commit crimes?

Answer 21

criminals have developed various cognitive techniques to nullify or neutralize these crime-inhibiting feelings

Question 22

A person can selectively weaken the controls exerted by conventional values about appropriate conduct, providing the individual offender with the freedom to _____ back and forth from conventional to deviant behavior.

Answer 22

drift

Question 23

A person can selectively weaken the controls exerted by conventional values about appropriate conduct, providing the individual offender with the freedom to drift back and forth from ___________ to _______ behavior.

Answer 23

conventional

deviant

Question 24

What are primary techniques of neutralization?

Answer 24

(1) denial of responsibility
(2) denial of injury
(3) denial of victim
(4) condemn the condemners
(5) appeal to a higher authority

Question 25

In the context of techniques of neutralization, how does a serial killer use these techniques?

Answer 25

denial of victim injury: because they “had it coming”

denial of responsibility:(“alter ego” did it)

Appeal to higher authority: (compelled to do it because “God’s will” or on a mission)

Question 26

Which technique of neutralization is this: “it wasn’t my fault”

Answer 26

denial of responsibility

Question 27

Which technique of neutralization is this: “they can afford it”

Answer 27

denial of injury

Question 28

Which technique of neutralization is this: “they had it coming”

Answer 28

denial of victim

Question 29

Which technique of neutralization is this: “everyone else is doing the same thing”

Answer 29

condemn the condemners

Question 30

Which technique of neutralization is this: “I did it to feed my family”

Answer 30

appeal to a higher authority