Chapter 11: Social Control Theories

Question 1

Why do most of us choose not to be deviant?

Answer 1

We obey rules because we form a strong bond to conventional society; we are all born deviants and we either conform (meaning social control has worked) or choose deviant path (social control fails but does not CAUSE deviance, but simply allows individual to CHOOSE deviant path)

Question 2

Inner Controls

Answer 2

Self-controls; individual experiences, feelings of inferiority, anger, rebellion, and organically based urges toward deviance; if inner pressures are uncontrolled, deviance will occur

Question 3

DIRECT Inner Control

Answer 3

Ability to feel guilt & shame and not respond to this with effective neutralizations (conscience, inner strength, responsibility and frustration tolerance)

Question 4

INDIRECT Inner Control

Answer 4

Based on individual’s rational interest in maintaining a “stake in conformity”

Question 5

Outer Controls

Answer 5

External world provides pressures toward deviance & “fences” to prevent it (external factors include: poverty, relative deprivation, adversity, insecurity, deviant companions and deviant opportunities)

Question 6

DIRECT Outer Controls

Answer 6

External to individual & usually carry threat of sanction, most effective when consistent across institutional settings so individual faces consistent moral front (ex: security camera in a store)

Question 7

INDIRECT Outer Controls

Answer 7

Mainly relational - control derives from need to maintain role relationships, most effective when conforming others hold power to reward/punish and when role networks overlap and indiscretion in one area will be detected in many (multiplying its costs) (ex: working in a legitimate family business, you would feel extensive indirect external controls)

Question 8

Which controls are most significant to control deviance?

Answer 8

Inner Controls

Question 9

Social Bond Theory

Answer 9

“Elements of social bonding include ATTACHMENT to families, COMMITMENT to social norms and institutions (school, employment), INVOLVEMENT in activities, and the BELIEF that these things are important”

Question 10

Attachment

Answer 10

Combination of caring & supervision with significant/reference others (people we use as standard for own behaviour); leads to conformity

Question 11

Strong Attachment

Answer 11

Emotional ties & effective communication to family/school (strong attachment = social control effective)

Question 12

How is attachment measured?

Answer 12

By nature of bond between child and parent as well as the degree of parental supervision

Question 13

Unattached

Answer 13

Extreme lack of attachment is common in psychopaths; lack of strong family attachment makes some youths available to gang participation; delinquents are socially disabled and unable to form close attachments to anyone

Question 14

Commitment

Answer 14

“A stake in conformity”: the more you have to lose by violating norms, the less likely you are to violate
(ex: those who view their work as “career employment”are less likely to engage in misconduct in the workplace

Question 15

Involvement

Answer 15

Devoting time and energy to conventional activities (ex: homework and sports)

Question 16

Belief

Answer 16

Closely relates to INNER CONTROL; acceptance of dominant value system of society, focuses on values (ex: respect for police & concern for teachers’ opinions)

Question 17

Criticisms of Social Bond Theory

Answer 17

• -> Ulmer argued theory would be stronger if it recognized possibility that structural, moral and personal commitment & investment contingencies (consequences of labelling) entrench into deviants paths
• -> Alarid suggests theory needs to incorporate elements of differential association theory (delinquent friends = delinquency)

Question 18

Negative Case

Answer 18

whenever a person in research sample provides pattern of responses that does not fit with predictions generated from theory

Question 19

Low Self-Control

Answer 19

“The general theory of crime”; focus on inner controls (self-control) and regulation provided by individuals’ capacity to defer gratification and control impulses

Question 20

6 Elements Locating Deviance within a Deviant

Answer 20

1) Self-centeredness
2) Anger/temper
3) Risk preference
4) Preference for physical (not mental) activities
5) Lack of future orientation
6) Lack of diligence

Question 21

Is self-control a stable personality trait?

Answer 21

Yes

Question 22

Force/Fraud

Answer 22

Used to define repeat offenders, based on whether they use force or fraud to achieve short term goals

Question 23

5 Main Assumptions About Criminal Offences (best applied to street crimes NOT terrorism/white collar)

Answer 23

1) Crime is assumed to provided IMMEDIATE gratification of desires
2) Crime provides EASY/SIMPLE paths to gratification (ex: stealing is easier than earning pay)
3) Crime is EXCITING/RISKY/THRILLING compared to conventional actions
4) Crime (mostly street crime) provides few/meagre long term benefits (criminal doesn’t have to be stable/reliable)
5) Most crimes require little SKILL/PLANNING (ex: apprenticeships are short, easy and unnecessary)

Question 24

Where does low self-control come from?

Answer 24

Thought to originate from the family and is a result of ineffective childrearing

Question 25

Absence of discipline, supervision and affection in home will result in _________?

Answer 25

Low self-control

Question 26

Which 3 conditions must be met to acquire self-control?

Answer 26

1) At least one person must MONITOR behaviour 2) Monitor must RECOGNIZE deviant behaviour 3) When aware of deviant behaviour, monitor must PUNISH (not physical) in straight forward way (clear statement of disapproval)

Question 27

Criticisms of theory

Answer 27

- Leaves out important variables (ex: if individual is motivated by self-control) - does not cover large range of crimes (mostly youth delinquency)