CRCJ 1000 Study Guide - Labeling Theory, Social Control Theory, Social Learning Theory

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Course: CRCJ 1000
• Professor: Jeffrey Monaghan

Document Summary

Classical theory: people think before they proceed with criminal actions; that when one commits a crime, it is because the individual decided that it was advantageous to commit the crime. Critical theory: the belief that a small few, the elite of the society, decide laws and the definition of crime; those who commit crimes disagree with the laws that were created to keep control of them. Labelling theory: an individual will become what he is labeled or what others expect him to become; the danger comes from calling a crime a crime and a criminal a criminal. Social control theory: it is society"s responsibility to maintain a certain degree of stability and certainly in an individual"s life, to make the rules and responsibilities clear, and to create other activities to thwart criminal activity.