Travis Hirshi (1969) And Control Theory Flashcards
1
Q
What did Hirshi focus on?
A
- why don’t most people commit crime?
2
Q
What did he believe about why people don’t commit crime?
A
- the stronger a persons social bonds = the less likely they are to commit crimes
3
Q
List the 4 social bonds
A
- attachment
- commitment
- involvement
- belief
4
Q
Define attachment as a social bond
A
- attachment to institutions such as the family and school
5
Q
Define commitment in social bond theory
A
- commitment to our roles and responsibilities e.g. Education/jobs
6
Q
Define involvement in social bond theory
A
- involvement in our commitments means we don’t have TIME to commit crime
7
Q
Define belief in social bond theory
A
Belief in morality; we have too much to lose by committing crime
8
Q
What do most criminals lack?
A
Strong social bonds, which explains committing crimes and other deviant acts
9
Q
Evaluation against Hirschi - what type of crime goes against this theory?
A
- white collar criminals have strong social bonds but still commit crimes.
10
Q
Evaluation for hirschi - is it all people with weak social bonds?
A
- most people don’t commit crime
- isn’t clear why crime is an inevitable response to weak social bonds
11
Q
Contemporary example to evaluate against Hirschi (3)
A
- BBC NEWS, 2017
- footballer Wayne Rooney drunk driving; 100 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 2 years
- married with 3 children, famous footballer but still committed a crime?
