SOC227 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Thrill Killing, Ronald Holmes, David Rosenhan
Document Summary
Social process theories: criminality function of individual socialization. Key assumption: all people (regardless of race, gender, class) potential to become criminals. Branches of social process theory: social learning theory, control theory, labeling theory. Crime product of learning the norms, values and behaviours associated with criminal activity: social learning theory: Learning actual techniques e. g. , hot-wire car; roll a joint. Psychological aspects e. g. , how to deal with guilt/shame. Most prominent forms of social learning theory: differential association theory (edwin sutherland) Challenges assertions that: crime a function of the inadequacy of people within the lower class, crime stems from individual traits. Argues instead that: crime is a politically defined construct. 1 (i) frequency (ii) duration (iii) priority (iv) intensity: learning criminal behaviour - *rather: cause: learning of deviant norms through contact with an excess of definitions needs/values favourable towards criminality e. g. , saving grace: neutralization theory (david matza & gresham sykes)
