Lec 9 Flashcards
Social Control Theory Assumptions (6)
Human beings are neither good nor evil
People are born with the capacity to do wrong
No particular motivation is needed to explain deviance
Conformity needs to be explained instead of deviance
People refrain from deviance because they do not want to jeopardize bonds in conventional society
Weak social control is the basis for criminal behavior
Social integration and deviance: Emile Durkheim
Suicide is related to social integration in society
Social bonds helps understand and control deviant behavior
Durkheim three types of suicides
Egoistic
Altruistic
Anomic
Which two suicides are caused by a lack of social bonds
Egoistic and anomic
Conclusion of Social Integration and Deviance: Emile Durkheim
When social rules are weak and there is little consensus about their applicability, society will be unable to regulate morality, and deviance will be common
Implication of Social Integration and Deviance: Emile Durkheim
Every individual does not face same level of pressure to deviate, hence different levels of deviance among individuals
The more disorganized a society, the more pressure citizens will face and the more likely deviance will occur
Suicide and the criminal code of Canada
Suicide has been legal since 1974
Assisted suicide is legal if
A competent adult person consents the termination of life and the person has a medical causing suffering that is intolerable
Suicide in Canada (5)
11 people commit every day
7-10 people significantly affected by the loss
Males commit suicide more
Immigrant women are more likely to commit suicide than Canadian women
Canadian men are more likely to commit than immigrant men
Peak ages for suicide
Male-35-44
Female- 45-54
Correlates and causes of suicide in Canada (4)
Personal crises
Social isolation from unemployment
Drug or alcohol addiction
Depression and mental illness
Collective Efficacy
Collective efficacy refers to social cohesion among neighbors combined with willingness to intervene on behalf of the common good
Collective Efficacy Theory: Sampson et al.
Theory is based on how the level of collective efficacy affects violence and crime in different neighborhoods
Collective Efficacy Theory Main Question
Why is violence/crime focused in some neighborhoods
Collective Efficacy and Crime/Violence Findings (4)
1.Residential stability helps to increase collective efficacy
2.People who are divorce and separated have higher levels of violence
3.Blacks and whites and those who have lived longer in a neighborhood are more likely to report higher levels of violence than Latinos
- Collective efficacy is negatively related to violence
Collective efficacy and crime/violence conclusion
Crime is non-randomly distributed across geographic space
Three aspects of neighborhood stratification: Concentrated disadvantage, immigration concentration and residential mobility
Disorder does not translate to high levels of violence
Implication of collective efficacy and crim/violence
Crime is a consequence of structural disadvantage and limited collective efficacy
Law and order approach is a weak strategy for reducing crime (networks among residents is more effective)
Travis Hirschi and Social Bond Theory
Individuals are more likely to be deviants if their bond to society is weak or broken
Four aspects of the social bond that constrain our behavior
Attachment- Ties to others
Commitment- Pursuit of conventional goals such as school and job
Involvement-Busy with conventional activities
Belief-In conventional values, morality, and legitimacy of law
Self control: The general theory of crime
People with low self control commit more crime
Causes and impacts of low self control
Poor early childhood socialization/parenting
Strict discipline could be cause
Causes and impacts of low self control
Poor early childhood socialization/parenting
Strict discipline could be cause
Self-control theories critiques
Context matters
Limited applicability, particularly in developing countries
Some developed societies have high rates of crime relative to availability of opportunity
Aspects of family relationships associated with delinquency
Strength of family ties
Parental supervision and discipline-Disapproval of deviance by people one cares about is very potent in checking delinquent behavior
Parental role model
What does delinquency and crime in boy have a close association with
Parental imprisonment
Does a fathers criminal record reflect on his son
Yes, 63 percent of sons become criminals while 30 percent non-criminal father sons were convicted
Variables between school variables and crime and delinquency
School failure
School satisfaction
Conduct in school
Religion effect on crime
Positive effect on behavior, “moral community” reinforces religious teachings
Critique of control theory and gender experience of crime
Neglects gender experiences that lead to crime
Criticisms of social control theory
Less convincing in explaining upper class crimes
Does not account for structural pressure that motivates to deviate
Ignores deterrent effects of the law
Is too individualistic
Is too conservative
Family policy implications of control theory
Strengthen family bonds
Train family to supervise and discipline children
School policy implications of control theory
Improve classroom interaction
Improve curriculum
Assist transition from school to work
