Lesson 7: Differential association theory Flashcards
What is differential association theory?
explanation of criminal behaviour that proposes that offending depends on the NORMS/VALUES of the offender’s SOCIAL GROUP.
When is offending more likely to occur?
When the social group VALUES DEVIANT behaviour
When a person is socialised into a social group what are they exposed to?
The group’s NORMS and VALUES towards the law.
Some groups will be PRO CRIME, whilst others will be ANTI-CRIME
According to Sutherland (1924), what increases the likelihood of an individual becoming an offender?
If the number of PRO-CRIME attitudes OUTWEIGH the number of ANTI-CRIME attitudes they come into contact with.
Fill in the blank:
The 1)___________ process is the same whether the person is learning 2)___________ or 3) ____________
1) Learning
2) Criminality
3) Conformity
State the different ways learning can occur to enforce criminal attitudes
Imitation
Vicarious reinforcement
Direct reinforcement
Direct tuition
What else does differential association theory suggest?
(Hint: F.I.D)
Suggests that it should be MATHEMATICALLY possible to predict how likely it is that someone will commit crime if we have knowledge of the:
FREQUENCY
INTENSITY
DURATION
of which they have been exposed to criminal + non-criminal norms and values
In addition to being exposed to pro-criminal attitudes, what else may the potential offender learn?
particular techniques for COMMITTING CRIME e.g how to pick locks, hot wire a care ect
According to Sutherland, why do many convicts go on to reoffend?
prison inmates often learn specific offending TECHNIQUES from more EXPERIENCED criminals that they put into practice upon release.
State a POSTIVE evaluation of Differential Association theory
(theory = able to account for crime= all sectors, working class, middle class)
+ This theory = able to ACCOUNT for crime within all SECTORS of society.
While Sutherland (1924) recognised that SOME types of crime, such as BURGULARY , may be clustered within INNER-CITY, WORKING CLASS communities..
IT IS ALSO THE CASE that some crimes are most prevalent among AFFLUENT groups. White-collar (sometimes referred to as CORPORATE crime) is a feature of middle-class social groups.
State a POSTIVE evaluation of Differential Association theory
(Moves away from early biological explantions, Lombroso)
+ Sutherland was successful in moving the emphasis away from early BIOLOGICAL
EXPLANATIONS of crime (i.e. Lombroso) &those explanations which saw
offending =being the product of individual WEAKNESS or IMMORALITY.
Differential association theory draws ATTENTION to the role of DYSFUNCTIONAL
social circumstances and environments in criminality.
State a POSTIVE evaluation of Differential Association theory
(Desirable + realistic)
+ Differential association theory offers a more DESIRABLE and realistic solution
to offending behaviour than the biological solution (eugenics) or the morality
solution (punishment)
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of Differential Association theory
(Difficult to test scientifically, how to measure pro-cime?)
- Differential association theory is difficult to test SCIENTIFICALLY, most of the
evidence to support it is CORRELATIONAL (does not demonstrate cause and effect).
How can the PRO-CRIME ATTITUDES a person has been exposed to be MEASURED?
Similarly, the theory is built on the assumption that offending behaviour will occur when pro-criminal values outnumber anti-criminal ones.
HOWEVER, without being able to measure these values, it is DIFFICULT to know at what point the URGE TO OFFEND will trigger a CRIMINAL career.
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of Differential Association theory
(Hint: not everyone = exposed= commits crime, ‘unavaoidably criminal’)
- Not everyone who is EXPOSED to criminal influences goes on to COMMIT crime.
There is a danger that this theory could STEREOTYPE individuals who come from
IMPOVERISHED, CRIME RIDDEN backgrounds as ‘unavoidably criminal’.
The theory IGNORES the fact that people might choose NOT to offend DESPITE criminal influences.
For example, offenders may seek out people with criminal values rather than being passively influenced
by them.
