Lecture 5 - Differential Association and Social Learning Theories Flashcards
9 propositions of the Development of Differential Association Theory (Edwin Sutherland)
1st proposition: Proposes that deviant behaviour is learned
2nd & 3rd proposition: Concludes that deviance is learned
4th proposition: Suggests that two things need to be learned:
* techniques of committing the crime
* the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes
5th proposition: Holds that motives/drives are learned
6th proposition
(Most important):
Holds that an excess of definitions favorable to deviant behaviour increases the likelihood of committing deviant acts
7th proposition: differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity
Differential Association Theory (Edwin Sutherland)
Background:
* The internet teaches us many deviant behaviours, and provides guides and instructions on how to participate in them. Due to this, many sociologists of deviance believe today and study the notion that much deviance, if not all deviant behavior, needs to be learned and that instruction is often required. Of course, the web is not the only place deviance is learned, we also learn it from friends, family, other media sources, etc.
Instead of focusing solely on the lower class, like the Social Disorganization theory, Edwin Sutherland’s important work drew attention to crimes of the middle and upper classes whose perpetrators were obviously not suffering from poverty or biological predispositions.
It is important to note that
Sutherland emphasized not differential association with persons but, rather, differential exposure to definitions.
Fact
Much research suggests that
early deviant behaviors are group activities. Underage drinking, smoking pot or using
other drugs, vandalism, bullying, and so on are more often done in groups than in
isolation, especially among adolescents and young adults
Critiques of Differential Association Theory
- assumes that all people exposed to criminal influences will commit crime, but not all do (different levels of resistance)
- Ignores biological and psychological factors
- Implies criminals have no free will, and simply imitate what they learn (neglects opportunity)
- Theory was meant to answer “white-collar crime” but many corporate criminals dont learn from deviant peers (it is their own greed, or opportunity)
Ronald Akers - Social Learning Theory
Attempted to reform Sutherland’s theory.
Introduced psychological concept of operant conditioning into the theory.
Operant conditioning: A learning process in which behavior is shaped by its consequences. It involves reinforcements and punishments to either increase or decrease a behavior.
* Holds that learning is enhanced by both social and non-social reinforcement
- Only recognized the first 3 propositions of Sutherland’s theory.
4 concepts:
* Differential association
* Definitions - attitudes, beliefs, and rationalizations that define a behaviour as good or bad, right or wrong.
* Differential Reinforcement - the balance of anticipated and actual rewards and punishments that follow or are the consequences of behaviour
* Imitation - observing modeled behaviour
Neutralization
Definitions can be
favorable to deviance or simply neutralize the negative connotations surrounding certain forms of deviant behavior or deviant behavior in certain situations.
Ex. Killing is deviant, but in times of war or self-defense it is acceptable
5 techniques of Neutralization:
* Denial of Responsibility
* Denial of Injury
* Denial of Victim
* Condemnation of the Condemners - points blame to those who are pointing the finger at the deviant’s behaviour
* Appeal to Higher Loyalties - When loyalty to one group violates the rules of society
Social structure & Social Learning
Creates the conditions for people to learn deviant or conforming behavior.
4 key characteristics:
* diferental social organization
* Differential Location in the social structure
* Theoretically defined structural variables
* Differential social location in groups
Social structure leads to social learning which leads to deviant behaviour
Application of Differential Association and Social Learning
In a study, each of Aker’s 4 key measures were included, and each variable contributed to the likeliness that teens would smoke cigarettes.
Critiques of Differential Association and Social Learning Theories
- Focus on Juvenile delinquency, minor forms of deviance
- There are forms of deviance that social learning may not explain
Ex. Spontaneous crimes, psychopathic behaviour, individual deviance (w/o social interaction) - Debate over theoretical and empirical role of differential association
Culture Deviance Theory
emphasize the values, beliefs, rituals, and practices of societies that promote certain deviant behaviors.
Subcultural Explanations of Deviance
emphasize the values, beliefs, rituals, and practices of subgroups in society that
distinguish those subcultures from the larger society.
Ex. Southern subculture of violence: Explanation of deviance focused on high rates of violence in the South.
* The authors characterized the history and cultural tolerance of violence and the acceptance and availability of firearms as contributing factors to the high rates of violence in the South.
Differential Association Example: DARE
The key component was “differential association” of the delinquent with nondelinquent
adults or other adolescents who would expose the delinquent to definitions unfavorable to deviance and favorable to prosocial behavior.
Conclusion
we have emphasized studies that examine social learning through communication with intimate others—or at least persons known to the deviant.
We have shied away from other sources of learning, such as music, movies, TV, video games, and the internet. We did this for two reasons:
* First, both differential association and social learning theories have historically focused on learning from intimate others.
* Second, the research on
the effects of the media on various behaviors is complex and far from conclusive.
