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Soc 225 - final > Social Control Theory > Flashcards

Social Control Theory Flashcards

1
Q

3 assumptions of sct?

A
  1. humans are neither good nor evil
  2. no special motivation is needed to explain deviance
  3. conformity needs to be explained
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2
Q

what does sct ask?

A

why arent we all deviant?

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3
Q

why do people obey the law?

A

behaviour is controlled by attachment and commitment to conventional institutions, individuals and processes

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4
Q

so why do people break the law?

A

because behaviours + passions are not controlled by society

- commitment to conformity is weakened/absent

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5
Q

three theories within social control theories?

A
  • social disorganization theory
  • social bond theory
  • general theory of crim
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6
Q

what is social disorganization theory?

A

believes deviance is highest in disorganized communities that lack social controls
- macro level feature leading to criminality

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7
Q

what is social bond theory?

A

deviance will result if bonds to society are weak or broken

- between macro and micro levels

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8
Q

what is general theory of crime?

A

low self-control increases likelihood of deviance

- micro level

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9
Q

3 main pressures on the individual that create restraints?

A
  1. society
  2. neighbourhood
  3. environment
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10
Q

Durkheim + the importance of social integration

A

D believed social bonds [how connected we feel to others in society, country, city] were v important.

    • broader societal forces. (ie. anomie, normlessness)
  • sense of collectiveness
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11
Q

D defines deviance how?

A

social organization is weak + individual lacks moral guidance

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12
Q

how deviance increases/decreases with rules + consensus?

A

strong rules + consensus about validity/ importance = less deviance

weak rules + limited agreement = more deviance

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13
Q

gangs predominate where?

A

where there were breaks in the structure of social organization, weak social controls
- city “slums”

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14
Q

2 descriptors for city “slums”

A
  • physical deterioration

- high resident turnover

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15
Q

Shaw + mckay: ecological analysis of deviance + gangs

A

deviance originates in social disorganization of communities

- most delinquency near city centre/poor areas, less delinquency as radiated outwards from core.

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16
Q

examples of social disorganization?

A

limited access to important services, pro-social activities, and weak/non-existent relationships between residents.

  • exposure to criminal subculture led to deviant behaviour.
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17
Q

why may social disorganization = deviance?

A

inadequate social controls - nothing to inhibit.

–> criminal subcultures developed in these areas

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18
Q

why having institutions isnt enough to fix the problem?

A

over-policing is a problem, what matters is the QUALITY of relation btw ppl + police.

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19
Q

are all crime neighbourhoods socially disorganized?

A

nah

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20
Q

3 types of social bonds?

A

parents
peers
school/work

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21
Q

hirschi’s social bonds theory ?

A

linked the onset of criminality to the weakening of ties that bind people to society
- commitment, willingness, attachment to rules differs btw ppl.

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22
Q

what are the 4 classifications of social bonds?

- these 4 things protect from engaging in crime?

A

attachment: affective (emotional) ties with others
commitment: degree to which an individual pursues conventional goals
involvement: degree to which an individual is active in conventional activities
belief: belief in conventional goals + legitimacy of the law.

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23
Q

Case of Tyrone William Con

- life story?

A
  • born to 15yoa parents, abandoned + raised by grandparents.
  • abused in foster homes : deprived + abandoned.
  • criminal career started early..
  • studied psych + soc in prison, escaped from prison a few times.
  • wanted to speak about effects of child abuse
  • died of gsw.
  • social bonds? agency?
24
Q

what is self-control?

A

control on the self, agency

25
self-control: the general theory of crime - whats the theory? - what is the "cause"
- low self-control: more likely to commit crime and engage in risky activity when given opportunity - - due to child-rearing practices; early childhood socialization
26
self-control has impacts on measures of success - which ones?
high school completion, uni degree, job, strength of personal relationships
27
the marshmallow experiment
- mischel: those who had low s-c, low delay of gratification: lower academic scores/achievement, less social fxning, more behavioural problems.
28
challenge the theory: if bonds stay the same throughout life, why do crime rates change as we age?
- if bonds stay same, should see ppl commiting same crime throughout life, but over time, see ppl decrease crime through age.
29
Sampson + Laub Life- Course-Developmental Theory - redefinition? - deflected from criminal trajectory by what? - what about social bonds changes over time?
- attachment + commitment of social bond theory = SOCIAL CAPITAL - deflected when they come to TURNING POINTS - strengthens social support system. - QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF social bonds changes over time.
30
function of social capital?
creates stake in society - creates conformity - gained as we age/enter adulthood
31
3 functions of family relationships?
1. strength of family ties: warm, affectionate correlated to lower delinquency. 2. parental supervision/discipline: clear, consistent, explicity discipline = less delinquency. [not too constraining/restrictive tho or will increase delinquency] 3. parental role model: pro-social parents is model for child to be the same. [model can increase violent/criminal behaviour too tho]
32
school attachment affects delinquency in 2 ways?
1. take over occupational socialization functions [teaches pro-social things.] 2. school is related to delinquency through its effects on children's daily lives [closer bond in community = better success]
33
study on expulsion and suspension?
- moral panic about youth violence = more suspensions/explusions - early aggression NEEDS strong social bond to protect from violence. - strong social bond acts as protective factor against the influence of peers who committed non-violent delinquency - suspension + expulsion = counter-productive.
34
why are suspensions/expulsions counter-productive?
- hard time in school/life = weak social bonds. + taking them out of school = weaker social bond. need to strengthen social bond to pull them out of deviance.
35
sports and social bonds?
- maybe not as protective as we think; varies. - hass found no support for sport decreasing delinquency. *some sports INCREASE delinquency* - Hartmann + Masoglia: athletic involvement may decrease shop-lifting but increase drunk driving.
36
are delinquents detached loners who have broken bonds to family + friends?
- perhaps no. many ppl have strong social bonds + commit crimes.
37
what is egoistic suicide?
situation where a person's social ties are so weak that they are freed from social constraints and acts only on the basis of private interests.
38
what is anomic suicide?
lack of social integration, caused by factors such as rapid economic change, leaves a society without clear system of moral beliefs and sentiments.
39
why control theory all but disappeared from the scene??
- early research was methodologically flawed. IVs were related to each other + DEGREE of social control was never measured, rather was inferred. - ecological fallacy problem.
40
what is ecological fallacy?
error made when info is gathered at group level + conclusions are drawn about individuals. - ie. high crime rate in area with high unemployment. =/= crimes are committed by unemployed.
41
reiss: distinguished social and personal controls. | define the terms
social controls: ties to primary groups (family, community) personal controls ( internatized by the individual)
42
reiss: why may there be delinquency?
if social AND personal controls are absent, break down, in conflict, cannot be enforced = delinquency. success or failure of probation assoc with presence or absence of BOTH factors
43
nye: developed what?
technique for measuring self-reported delinquency and gathered his data from random sample of hs students.
44
nye theoretical perspective?
control theory assumes delinquency IS NOT CAUSED by but PREVENTED BY controls.
45
nye: what group is most significant in development of social control?
family! | - enforced, and determined child's internal controls.
46
religion on criminality -- conventional wisdom
strong religious are not likely to become criminals
47
current view on religion on criminality?
- no relationship in communities where religious participation is low - in communities where religious participation is high, there is a relation btw religion + delinquency. ex: provo: high church membership: more likely to not be delinquent and attend church than in seattle where there's low church membership.
48
issues with social control theory
doesnt focus on occupational crime
49
what is watergate affair
highly placed US government officials concealed their involvement in an unsuccessful plot to break into the offices of the Democratic National Committee
50
situational controls in watergate affair?
low punishment | likelihood of sanctions was low.
51
three elements to controlling deviance
1. monitor behaviour 2. recognize deviance 3. punish deviant behaviour
52
role of delinquent peers - depends on what?
integration of control theory with the differential association theory - because it acknowledges the weakness in binding individual to conventional (control system) - but also the association with delinquents increases criminality
53
when are people more likely to conform?
when they stand to gain by doing so.
54
problem children usually come from?
parents not knowing how to punish their children.
55
best way for parents to shape behaviour?
nonphysical punishments, rewarding good conduct, interacting more positively
56
factors differentiating good from bad schools?
standards and values set + maintained by school, degree of student-participation in decision making, school + class size, staff turnover, degree of concentration of intellectually + socially disadvantaged pupils.

Soc 225 - final (4 decks)

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