Differential Association theory Flashcards
Who thought of Differential Association Theory?
Sutherland (1939)
What does differential association theory suggest?
- Offending is learnt through socialisation
- Pro-criminal attitudes/behaviour occur through association and relationships with other people
What does differential association theory stem from?
Because from other people we learn our norms and values, even deviant ones. Offending behaviours/techniques are passed on from one generation to another or between peers.
What reinforces our behaviours?
Expectations/attitudes of those around us reinforce our behaviours through acceptance and approval
How does reinforcement affect offending behaviour?
Because if rewards for offending are greater than the rewards for not offending.
What are the advantages of differential association theory?
- Can account for all types of crime
- Moves away from biological explanations
- More realistic
How does differential association theory help move the emphasis away from early biological explanations of crime?
Because it draws attention to the role of dysfunctional social circumstances and environments in criminality
How does Differential association theory account for crime in all sectors of society?
Sutherland (1939) recognised that some types of crime are in the working class communities and some in affluent groups
What are the disadvantages of differential association theory?
- Difficult to scientifically test
- Could cause stereotyping
- Ignores free will
How is differential association theory difficult to test?
Most evidence is correlational and the theory is built on the assumption that offending behaviour will occur when pro-criminal value outnumber anti-criminal ones but without being to measure this it is hard to know when a criminal career will be triggered
