Differential Association Sutherland and Cressey

1
Differential AssociationSutherland and Cressey

• Part II
• Chapter 8

Part 2 Ch. 8
2
Differential Association

• Criminal behavior is learned
• Criminal behavior is learned in interaction with
  other persons in a process of communication
• The principal part of the learning of criminal
  behavior occurs within intimate personal groups

Part 2 Ch. 8
3
Differential Association

• When criminal behavior is learned, the learned
  includes
• (a) techniques of committing the crime, which are
  sometimes very complicated, sometimes very
  simple
• (b) the specific direction of motive, drives,
  rationalizations, and attitudes

Part 2 Ch. 8
4
Differential Association

• The specific direction of motives and drives is
  learned from definitions of the legal codes as
  favorable or unfavorable
• A person becomes delinquent because of an excess
  of definitions favorable to violation of law over
  definitions unfavorable to violation of law

Part 2 Ch. 8
5
Differential Association

• Differential associations may vary in frequency,
  duration, priority, and intensity
• The process of learning criminal behavior by
  association with criminal and anti-criminal
  patterns involves all of the mechanisms that are
  involved in any other learning

Part 2 Ch. 8
6
Differential Association

• While criminal behavior is an expression of
  general needs and values
• It is not explained by those general needs and
  values, since noncriminal behavior is an
  expression of the same needs and values.

Part 2 Ch. 8
7
Control TheoryHirschi

• Part II
• Chapter 9

8
I. Elements of the Bond
9
A. Attachment

• Refers to an individuals bonds to others
• Attachment to others part of why we do or do not
  care about norm violations
• If one does not care about the expectations of
  others, he or she is free to deviate

Part 2 Ch. 9
10
B. Commitment

• Investment of time, energy, self in a certain
  pursuit
• Getting an education, building up a business,
  acquiring a reputation
• Risking the loss of such investments by deviance
  or crime and facing punishments (time in prison)
  seems irrational
• The concept of commitment assumes that the
  organization of society is such that most persons
  interests would be endangered if they engaged in
  crime

Part 2 Ch. 9
11
C. Involvement

• Involvement in conventional activities limits
  time, energy and opportunity to engage in deviant
  or criminal activity
• Idle hands are the devils workshop
• Example recreational programs and facilities to
  reduce juvenile delinquency

Part 2 Ch. 9
12
D. Belief

• Control theory assumes existence of a common
  value system within a society or group
• Individual belief in set of values is variable
  the greater a persons acceptance of moral
  authority for a set of norms, the less like they
  are to violate them
• Control theory differs from cultural deviance
  theory in this assumption of consensus within a
  society or group over a set of values

Part 2 Ch. 9
13
Review Questions

• What kind of deviance and delinquency does
  Hirschi focus on and what are some of his
  assumptions?
• How does his theory differ from structural
  perspective(s) of deviance?

Part 2 Ch. 9