Chapter 6 Flashcards
(40 cards)
the idea that we must look beyond our personal experiences to the experiences of others in order to evaluate how social location influences how individuals perceive society
sociological imagination
the idea that the break-down of social bonds and the failure of social institutions cause crime
social disorganization theory
the idea that geographical areas radiate out from an expanding urban center and teach each area has certain dominant social attitudes
concentric zone theory
Shaw and McKay
the measure of the amount of informal social control and social cohesion, or trust, in a community
collective efficacy
these theories focus on where and how adult offenders and delinquents find the tools, techniques, and expertise to break the law
learning theories of crime
sutherland’s idea that offenders learn crime from each other
differential association
the idea that people learn how to act by watching others and copying the interactions that are rewarded and by avoiding those that are punished
social learning theory
a form of learning based on the positive and negative consequences of an action, behavior, or activity
operant conditioning
the encouragement of one behavior instead of another
differential reinforcement
a perspective that refers to the excuses some offenders use to justify breaking the law
techniques of neutralization theory
attitudes that the lower classes perpetuate as part of the values and norms they believe are necessary for survival in their neighborhoods
focal concerns
a culture apart from the main social culture that holds violence to be part of its values, lifestyle, and socialization
subculture of violence
the erosion of standards resulting from a lack of social control and values that leads to social instability
anomie
the idea that people who experience anger and frustration when they cannot achieve cultural goals through legitamate means try to achieve these goals through illegitimate means
classical strain theory
Cloward and Ohlin’s idea htat subcultures provide youths with ways to adapt to the lack of legitimate opportunities and with the prospect of developing illegitimate ways of responding to impoverished and disorganized urban life
differential opportunity theory
the condition that occurs when people’s commitment to societal institutions becomes subservient to achieving the goal of wealth, which leads to ther inability of the neglected institutions to control behavior
institutional anomie
Agnew’s revision of classical strain theory, which identifies three major types of strain:
failure to achieve goals
the loss of positive stimuli
the gain of negative stimuli
general strain theory
a perspective that questions why most people do not break the law
control theories of crime
the idea that everyone has internal and external structures that hold them within the larger social structure
containment theory
the idea that there are forces that keep people connected to social norms and values
social bond theory
Gottfredsom and Hirschi’s theory emphasizing the importance of parental influence on children’s development of self control
general theory of crime
a theory that seeks to explain why males commit more offenses and delinquency than females
power-control theory of crime
created sociological imagination
C Wright Milla\s
tells individuals where they fit in society
In reality, the choices we make are heavily influenced by the expectations of others around us
Social location
