THEORY

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THEORY SOCIAL RESEARCH
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What is a Theory?

• A logically interrelated set of propositions
  about empirical reality.
• A more or less integrated set of propositions
  and/or hypotheses that purport to explain
  phenomena and that guide research.
• A statement or set of statements describing the
  relationships among concepts.

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Definitions

• Concept A mental image that summarizes a set of
  similar observations, feelings, or ideas.
• Variable Characteristics or properties that can
  vary (take on different values or attributes).
• Indicator The question or other operation used
  to indicate the value of cases on a variable.

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• Concept Binge Drinking
• Variables Frequency of heavy episodic drinking
• Indicators How often within the past two weeks
  did you consume five or more drinks containing
  alcohol in a row?

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• Concept Social Class
• Variables Income, Education, Occupational
  Prestige
• Indicators Income Education Prestige

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Major Theoretical Frameworks in Criminology

• Strain
• Concepts Frustration, Anomie, Goals, Means
• Frustration brought about by structural
  malfunction
• Learning
• Concepts Modeling, Interactions, Reinforcement
• Socialization into a subculture of deviance
• Control
• Concepts Social Bonds, Self-Control
• Lack of control/stake in conformity leads to
  crime

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Value of Theory for Social Research

• Police
• Officers Short-term
• Police Resolution
• Trainers
• Feminist Deterrence
• Activists

Experiences Family Police Legal
Assumptions Gender Crime Punishment
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Social Theories and PredictionsEffect of Arrest
for Intimate Partner Assault

• Rational Choice Symbolic Interaction
• Theoretical Cost-Benefit Assigned Meanings
• Assumption Analysis
• Criminological Deterrence Labeling Deviance
• Component
• Prediction Costs of Abuse Labeled abuser
• too High

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• Theory
• Inductive Deductive
• Reasoning Reasoning
• Data

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• Theory
• Empirical Hypothesis
• Generalizations
• Data

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Sherman Berk (1984)

• Theory Deterrence
• Hypothesis Arrest for spouse abuse reduces the
  risk of repeat offenses
• Experimental Design
• Arrest the offender
• Separate the Spouses
• Warn the offender
• Empirical Generalization Pattern in the data
  consistent with the hypothesis deduced from the
  theory

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Variables

• Independent Variable (IV) a variable that is
  hypothesized to cause, or lead to, variation in
  another variable.
• Dependent Variable (DV) the variable that you
  are tying to explain.

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The greater the social disorganization in a
community, the higher the rate of crime

• Social disorganization
• Crime rate
• If social disorganization is higher, then the
  crime rate is higher.

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As ones self-control gets stronger, the fewer
delinquent acts one commits

• Self-control
• Self-reported delinquency
• If self-control is higher, then the number of
  delinquent acts is lower.

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Crime is lower in communities where the police
patrol on foot

• Presence of foot patrols
• Crime
• If a community has police foot patrols, then the
  level of crime is lower

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Relationship Between Social Disorganization
Crime

• Hi
• Crime
• Rate
• Lo
• Lo Hi
• Social Disorganization

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Relationship Between Self-Control Number of
Delinquent Acts

• Hi
• Acts
• Lo
• Lo Hi
• Self-Control