Control Theory

Question 1

What was the key proposition of Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory?

Answer 1

Delinquency arises when social bond—defined by ongoing relationships—are weak or absent (i.e., variation in strength of social control).

-Loss of control sets an individual free to calculate the costs of crime

Question 2

Control resides in a person’s ties to conventional society. Name 3 examples/institutions where people are tied to society.

Answer 2

To its adult members (parents, teachers)

Its institutions (family, school)

Its beliefs (laws, normative standards)

Question 3

Involvement

Answer 3

Participation in conventional activities, including homework, work, sports, school activities, and other recreational pursuits.

Question 4

Belief

Answer 4

An embrace of the moral validity of the law and of other conventional norms (e.g., school rules).

Question 5

Attachment

Answer 5

Attachment: emotional closeness (esp to parents).

Question 6

What did Hirschi (1969) assume about people’s perceptions of crime benefits?

Answer 6

Hirschi never demonstrated empirically that people see the same benefits in crime; he just assumed this to be the case.

Question 7

Commitment

Answer 7

High educational and occupational aspirations and good grades in school.

Question 8

Name 4 Social Bonds

Answer 8

Attachment
Commitment
Involvement
Belief

Question 9

Strengths of Social Bond Theory

Answer 9

Equally applied to all races, unlike criminogenic strains (i.e., racial discrimination; Cloward & Ohlin, 1960).

Question 10

What are weaknesses of Social Bond Theory?

Answer 10

He failed to explore how social bonds are potentially affected by the larger social forces in American society (Cite).

He failed to explore how the formation of bonds are affected by factors such as changing gender roles, neighborhood disorganization, enduring racial inequality, or the deterioration of the urban industrial economy (Cite).