Social Process Theories

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Social Process Theories

• Social Learning Theory
• Informal Social Control Theory
• Labeling Theory

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Social Process

• These are MICRO theories
• Process individual interacting with social
  units or agencies over time
• Social Agencies/Units
• Family
• Peer Groups
• School
• Criminal Justice Agencies

3
Social Learning Theory

• Edwin Sutherland
• Differential Association
• Akers
• (With Burgess) Differential Reinforcement
• Social Learning Theory
• Gerald Patterson
• Social Interactional Theory

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Edwin Sutherland

• Degree in Sociology from the University of
  Chicago (1913)
• Faculty member (1930-1935)
• Chicago School question how are delinquent
  cultures transmitted across generations?
• Answer? Differential Association
• Published and revised in his textbook from
  1934-1947

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Differential Association

• Criminal Behavior is learned
• (Negatively, this means it is not invented)
• Through communication within intimate groups
• Learning involves techniques and attitudes
• Attitudes expresses as definitions of the
  situation
• A person becomes delinquent because of an excess
  of definitions favorable to law violation
• The process involves the same learning process as
  all other behavior

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Differential Association

• This is a GENERAL theory
• Explains white collar crimes as well as street
  crimes
• Focus on adolescents and young adults
• Very abstract and vague
• What are definitions?
• What are the mechanics of learning?

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Ronald Akers

• Brought differential association in line with
  psychological principles of learning
• Differential Reinforcement theory
• Now, Social Learning Theory
• Central Concepts
• Differential Association
• Attitudes Toward Crime
• Reinforcement
• Imitation (role modeling)

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Testing Social Learning

• Surveys Theory tested with 2 variables
• Exposure to Deviant Peers
• Attitudes Favorable Towards Crime
• Variables consistently predict deviance, but
  causal order is questionable

9
Testing Social Learning II

• Experimental Studies
• Don Andrews (1980) group therapy experiments
• Token Economies
• Cognitive/Behavioral Programs
• Skills Training
• Reduce Criminal Thinking Errors

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Criticisms of Social Learning and Differential
Association

• Where do initial definitions or techniques
  come from?
• Assumption about human nature
• Causal ordering is backwards
• Cannot explain early onset criminal behavior
  and deviance

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Gerald Patterson

• Social Interactoinal Theory
• Focus on the Early Childhood
• Effective Parents
• Monitor/Supervise their childs behavior
• Recognize deviant acts
• Consistently Use Rewards and Punishment, and Role
  Model Positive Behaviors
• Ineffective Parents
• Natter, harsh and inconsistent punishment...

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Pattersons Social Interactional Theory

• Parental
• Efficacy
• Supervise
• Recognize
• Punish/reward
• consistently

• Parenting
• Context
• SES
• Grandparents skill
• in parenting
• Single parents
• Difficult child

Childs Antisocial Behavior
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Policy Implications

• If crime is learned, it can be unlearned
• Token Economy
• Role modeling
• Eliminate rationalizations, or criminal
  thinking errors
• Learn pro-social (competing) behaviors
• Training parents (Patterson)
• Behavior contracts