Class 13 Flashcards
What do social process theories argue about criminality?
Social process theories argue that criminality is a function of socialization, influenced by formal and informal social institutions such as family, peer groups, schools, and the legal system.
What is socialization?
Socialization is the process of human development and learning, where individuals acquire values, norms, and behaviors.
What is primary socialization?
Primary socialization occurs through the family and is the initial stage of learning social norms and behaviors.
What is secondary socialization?
Secondary socialization occurs through institutions such as schools, peer groups, and the legal system, shaping an individual’s behavior beyond the family.
How does family influence behavior in the social process?
Parenting factors play a large role in behavior. Factors include:
Single-parent vs. dual-parent households
Family type is more significant than income
What role does education play in the criminalization process?
Schools and stigmatization play an early role in the criminalization process.
The school climate provides instrumental and emotional support.
How do peers influence behavioral patterns?
Peers can influence behavioral patterns both positively and negatively.
How do institutions and beliefs impact social behavior?
Institutions and beliefs contribute to prosocial influence, encouraging positive social behaviors.
What is Social Learning Theory?
Social Learning Theory states that behavior is modeled through observing human interactions (directly or indirectly). It suggests people are born good but learn to be bad through experience.
What is Control Theory?
Control Theory explains how society and institutions control, manage, direct, or restrain human behavior. It suggests people are born bad but learn to be good through external control.
What is Labeling Theory?
Labeling Theory argues that labeling or classifying a behavior as deviant creates deviance. The label becomes part of an individual’s identity and is controlled by reactions from others.
What does Social Learning Theory suggest about crime?
Social Learning Theory suggests that crime is a product of learned norms, values, and behaviors.
What is Differential Association (DA) Theory?
Differential Association Theory states that criminal acts are related to exposure to antisocial attitudes and values.
What is Differential Reinforcement (DR) Theory?
Differential Reinforcement Theory suggests that crime is a form of learned behavior, reinforced by rewards or punishments.
What is Neutralization Theory?
Neutralization Theory states that offenders adhere to conventional values while drifting into periods of crime, justifying or neutralizing their actions.
What does Differential Association Theory suggest about learned behavior?
Differential Association Theory states that learned behavior is a process, and criminal skills are acquired through contact with pro-crime values.
How does society influence the perception of crime in Differential Association Theory?
Some groups may reject how crime is socially defined, leading to different perspectives on criminal behavior.
How do people weigh differential associations in relation to crime?
People weigh differential associations between ideas that justify crime and ideas that prohibit crime.
What are some ideas that prohibit crime?
Play fair/by the rules
Forgive and forget
Honesty is the best policy
What are some ideas that justify crime?
The end justifies the means
Don’t get mad, get even
Don’t let others push you around
What is Differential Reinforcement Theory?
Differential Reinforcement Theory explains how behavior is learned and maintained through reinforcement and punishment in social interactions.
What is direct conditioning in Differential Reinforcement Theory?
Direct conditioning occurs when behavior is rewarded or punished during interactions with others, influencing future actions.
What is Differential Association in the context of Differential Reinforcement Theory?
Differential Association refers to learning behavior through direct or indirect interactions with others.
How does imitation contribute to Differential Reinforcement Theory?
Imitation involves observational learning experiences, such as watching TV or films, where individuals adopt behaviors they observe.
What are cognitive definitions in Differential Reinforcement Theory?
Cognitive definitions are attitudes toward behaviors (positive or negative) that influence whether those behaviors are adopted.
What does Neutralization Theory suggest about criminals?
Neutralization Theory suggests that criminals hold conventional values and attitudes alongside a criminal status and can drift between offending and conventional behaviors.
What are subterranean values in Neutralization Theory?
Subterranean values refer to immorality that is deeply embedded in culture but is otherwise condemned by society.
What are some techniques of neutralization used by offenders?
Techniques of neutralization include:
- Denying responsibility
- Denying injury
- Denying the victim
- Condemning the condemners
- Appealing to higher loyalties
- Claiming necessity
- Using the ledger metaphor
- Rejecting the law
- Saying “everyone else does it”
- Claiming entitlement to benefit
How is self-concept related to crime in Social Control Theories?
Low self-control comes from weak self-esteem, and self-rejection is linked to a higher likelihood of deviance.
What is Containment Theory in Social Control Theories?
Containment Theory suggests that positive self-esteem provides an insulating effect against deviance by reinforcing internal and external controls.
What are the two main components of Containment Theory?
- Containments – Internal and external factors that protect against deviance (e.g., strong self-concept, positive social supports).
- Crime-producing forces – Internal pushes, external pressures, and external pulls that encourage deviance.
What is the dominant version of Social Control Theory?
The dominant version of Social Control Theory states that weak ties and bonds to society lead to deviance.
What are the four key elements of Social Control Theory’s Social Bonds?
- Attachment – Sensitivity to and interest in others; a social conscience and care for others, starting in the family.
- Commitment – Time, energy, and effort in pursuing a conventional life (e.g., getting an education, saving money).
- Involvement – Engagement in conventional activities leaves less time for criminal behavior; boredom/idleness increases crime’s attractiveness.
- Belief – Strong belief in conventional norms and values discourages deviance.
How does attachment influence social control?
Attachment refers to sensitivity and interest in others, fostering a social conscience and care for others, which starts in the family.
How does commitment deter criminal behavior?
Commitment represents the time, energy, and effort individuals invest in pursuing a conventional life, such as education and financial stability, reducing the likelihood of engaging in crime.
How does involvement in activities affect crime?
Being involved in conventional activities leaves less time for criminal behavior, while boredom and idleness increase the attractiveness of crime.
How does belief in societal norms prevent crime?
A strong belief in conventional norms and values discourages individuals from engaging in deviant or criminal behavior.
What is the core idea of Labeling Theory?
Labeling Theory suggests that labels assigned to individuals influence their self-identity and behavior, potentially reinforcing deviant behavior.
How does Symbolic Interaction Theory relate to Labeling Theory?
Symbolic Interaction Theory states that people communicate meaning and interpret reality based on their understanding of symbols, including labels.
What do labels imply about individuals?
Labels imply characteristics outside of an individual’s inherent traits, influencing how they are perceived and treated by society.
Why are positive and negative labels significant in Labeling Theory?
Positive and negative labels require interpretation and adoption by individuals, shaping their identity and actions.
How can labeling contribute to deviance?
Labeling can lead to a stronger commitment to a deviant career, increased social isolation, and may lock individuals into deviance.
How do institutions like police, courts, and corrections influence labeling?
Police, courts, and corrections reinforce and produce stigma through the application of labels, which can impact an individual’s future behavior and societal perception.
How are crime and deviance defined in Labeling Theory?
Crime and deviance are defined by others’ reactions to our behavior, not by the moral content of the act itself.
Who is responsible for labeling individuals as deviant?
Labeling is done by crime control institutions (e.g., police, courts) and close social groups.
What are moral entrepreneurs in Labeling Theory?
Moral entrepreneurs are interest groups that control social life and legal order to promote their set of moral values.
What is Differential Enforcement?
Differential Enforcement refers to the idea that the law is not applied evenly or fairly, with factors like race, wealth, gender, and social standing influencing the likelihood of arrest and sanction.
How do laws reflect power relationships in society?
Laws and punishments are often uneven and benefit some groups over others, reinforcing existing power structures in society.
How did NWMP respond to the “threat” of Indigenous peoples?
The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) initially responded to Indigenous peoples as a “threat,” which later influenced more modern approaches to policing.
How can Labeling Theory be applied on a macro-social level?
The micro-social approach of Labeling Theory can be expanded to a macro-social level through Conflict Theory, which examines how power and inequality shape law enforcement and legal systems.
What is social distance in the context of labeling?
Social distance refers to how a person can be labeled as deviant due to power differences between the labeler and the person being labeled.
How does social distance impact sentencing and processing?
There is a disparity in sentencing and processing between marginalized groups and those who are privileged, often leading to unequal treatment in the justice system.
Do all labeled individuals engage in crime?
No, not all labeled people choose to engage in crime, but the stigma of the label can still affect them.
What are the main effects of labeling?
Labeling creates stigma and affects an individual’s self-image, potentially influencing future behavior.
What is master status in labeling theory?
Master status is an identity that overrides all other aspects of a person’s self-perception and how they are perceived by society.
What is the dramatization of evil in labeling theory?
The dramatization of evil refers to how reactions to deviance create a feedback loop that reinforces the deviant label, leading individuals to internalize it.
What is primary deviance?
Primary deviance refers to deviant acts that go undetected or unsanctioned, meaning they do not result in a deviant label.
What is secondary deviance?
Secondary deviance occurs when deviant acts are sanctioned, leading to the individual adopting the deviant label as part of their personal identity.
How does labeling contribute to secondary deviance?
When a person is labeled as deviant due to sanctioned behavior, they may internalize the label and continue engaging in deviant actions as part of their identity.
