Social Theories Explaned

Thesis

The Thesis of all of the Social Theories is that people generally want to be accepted by others. Grouping a person actually negates there independent thought. The fact of having to perform, act, and qualify the same or above other people makes an over achiever. Grouping people can be good and bad the good part of it is that they have activities in common with each other the bad part is that most people like to be individuals when grouped with others they have to stand out.

Analysis of Differential Association Theory examined by the works of Edward H. Sutherland

Analysis of differential Association explains that parents can encourage delinquent behavior by showing their own bad habits.  This theory ignores spontaneous acts defining acts as systematic and rational.

Neutralization Theory by David Matza

Neutralization Theory states that a law breaker learns and master techniques that neutralize values and attitudes and allow them to drift between illegitimate and conventional behavior.

1.       Criminals  sometimes voice guilt over acts

2.       Offenders frequently respect and admire honest law abiding persons

3.       Criminals are not immune to the demand of conformity

Neutralization Techniques by Sykes and Matza

Neutralization Techniques develop a distinct set of justifications for their law violating behavior. They conclude that criminals must accept social values before committing crime. The categories are as follows, Denial of Responsibility, Denial of Injury, Denial of the Victim, Condemnation of Condemners, Appeal to Higher Loyalties. Results of testing of Neutralization have been inconclusive by this Sykes and Matza’s theory.

Contemporary Social Control Theory by Hirschi

·         Attachment:

Explains that people are attached to family, friends, work relations, and church disappointment of people you are close to result in individuals’ not committing crime.

·         Commitment:

Impromptu values of savings and planning for the future make people edgy about committing crimes.

·         Heavy Involvement:  

Volunteering in social groups allows no time for criminal activity.

·         People Who Live In The Social Setting:

People around your neighborhood that you see every day make it hard for us to commit criminal acts because we do not want to disappoint them we want to be law abiding citizens to please the over all populist.

Labeling Theory by Raymond Paternostert and Leeann Iovanni

Labeling people honestly makes them think in the same manner as they say the person should act. This makes them not respond well to people socially. Social out casts they seem to like the fact they do not blend in to the overall mixture of society.