Social Control Theories Flashcards
What is social control?
-EA Ross (Early 1900s): Belief systems guide what people do and serve to control
-Defines what is deviant, what is right, what is wrong
-Social control theorists consider laws, norms, customs, ethics, and etiquette to be forms of social control
What do social control theories ask?
“Why people don’t commit crime” instead of “why do people commit crime”?
What are the two types of social control?
Formal social control (legal system, laws, law enforcement), Informal social control (informal systems; families, neighborhoods, friendship groups, classmates)
What is Reiss’ Control Theory (1951)?
-Delinquency is a consequence of weak controls
-Believed that the family was important for understanding how deviant predispositions were discouraged/restrained
(A sound family environment coupled with supervision by the community will appropriately socialize youths)
What is Toby’s Stakes in Conformity? (1957)
-A stake in conformity will prevent people from committing crime
-Stake in conformity: what an individual has to lose if they violate the law
-How invested is a person in conventional society
-Those invested in social institutions are less likely to take risks and violate the rights of others than those who don’t have stakes in conformity
What are the three primary components of control in Nye’s (1958) Control Theory?
Internal control, direct control, and indirect control
What is Nye’s Control Theory?
-The amount of parental controls is not linearly related to delinquency,
-No control (total freedom) is bad, but so is complete control
-To prevent delinquency, it is ideal to balance control and freedom
What is Reckless’ (1961) Contain theory?
-Individuals can be pushed or pulled toward antisocial behavior (Push factors: mostly psychological; pull factors: mostly social environmental)
-To combat the push and pull factors, individuals must be sufficiently contained (Inner and outer containment)
What are the 4 important bonds in Hirschi’s (1969) Social Control Theory?
-Attachment (parents, teachers, friends)
-Commitment (are you committed to a job, school)
-Involvement (you’re too busy to commit crime)
-Belief (society’s value system (law))
Strong bonds = less delinquency
What are the strengths of Hirschi’s Social Control Theory?
-Complements explanations of group level crime and gang behavior
-Has (for the more part) been supported by research
-Pretty simple to understand
What are weaknesses of Hirschi’s Social Control Theory?
-Some definitions can be unclear
-Theory doesn’t account for attachment to people who commit crime
What is Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) General theory of crime?
-Crime and delinquency are function of low self-control (Low self-control = impulsivity, the need for immediate gratification, quick temper, self-centeredness)
-Low self-control from poor parenting practices (Self-control is established early in childhood and is stable by age 8)
-Mixed evidence for the theory
(Low self control has been linked to delinquency; The role of parenting practices in establishing self-control is less clear)
