Class 13 - Social Process theories

Question 1

What do social process theories argue about criminality?

Answer 1

Social process theories argue that criminality is a function of socialization, influenced by formal and informal social institutions such as family, peer groups, schools, and the legal system.

Question 2

What is socialization?

Answer 2

Socialization is the process of human development and learning, where individuals acquire values, norms, and behaviors.

Question 3

What is primary socialization?

Answer 3

Primary socialization occurs through the family and is the initial stage of learning social norms and behaviors.

Question 4

What is secondary socialization?

Answer 4

Secondary socialization occurs through institutions such as schools, peer groups, and the legal system, shaping an individual’s behavior beyond the family.

Question 5

How does family influence behavior in the social process?

Answer 5

Parenting factors play a large role in behavior. Factors include:

Single-parent vs. dual-parent households

Family type is more significant than income

Question 6

What role does education play in the criminalization process?

Answer 6

Schools and stigmatization play an early role in the criminalization process.

The school climate provides instrumental and emotional support.

Question 7

How do peers influence behavioral patterns?

Answer 7

Peers can influence behavioral patterns both positively and negatively.

Question 8

How do institutions and beliefs impact social behavior?

Answer 8

Institutions and beliefs contribute to prosocial influence, encouraging positive social behaviors.

Question 9

What is Social Learning Theory?

Answer 9

Social Learning Theory states that behavior is modeled through observing human interactions (directly or indirectly). It suggests people are born good but learn to be bad through experience.

Question 10

What is Control Theory?

Answer 10

Control Theory explains how society and institutions control, manage, direct, or restrain human behavior. It suggests people are born bad but learn to be good through external control.

Question 11

What is Labeling Theory?

Answer 11

Labeling Theory argues that labeling or classifying a behavior as deviant creates deviance. The label becomes part of an individual’s identity and is controlled by reactions from others.

Question 12

What does Social Learning Theory suggest about crime?

Answer 12

Social Learning Theory suggests that crime is a product of learned norms, values, and behaviors.

Question 13

What is Differential Association (DA) Theory?

Answer 13

Differential Association Theory states that criminal acts are related to exposure to antisocial attitudes and values.

Question 14

What is Differential Reinforcement (DR) Theory?

Answer 14

Differential Reinforcement Theory suggests that crime is a form of learned behavior, reinforced by rewards or punishments.

Question 15

What is Neutralization Theory?

Answer 15

Neutralization Theory states that offenders adhere to conventional values while drifting into periods of crime, justifying or neutralizing their actions.

Question 16

What does Differential Association Theory suggest about learned behavior?

Answer 16

Differential Association Theory states that learned behavior is a process, and criminal skills are acquired through contact with pro-crime values.

Question 17

How does society influence the perception of crime in Differential Association Theory?

Answer 17

Some groups may reject how crime is socially defined, leading to different perspectives on criminal behavior.

Question 18

How do people weigh differential associations in relation to crime?

Answer 18

People weigh differential associations between ideas that justify crime and ideas that prohibit crime.

Question 19

What are some ideas that prohibit crime?

Answer 19

Play fair/by the rules
Forgive and forget
Honesty is the best policy

Question 20

What are some ideas that justify crime?

Answer 20

The end justifies the means

Don’t get mad, get even

Don’t let others push you around

Question 21

What is Differential Reinforcement Theory?

Answer 21

Differential Reinforcement Theory explains how behavior is learned and maintained through reinforcement and punishment in social interactions.

Question 22

What is direct conditioning in Differential Reinforcement Theory?

Answer 22

Direct conditioning occurs when behavior is rewarded or punished during interactions with others, influencing future actions.

Question 23

What is Differential Association in the context of Differential Reinforcement Theory?

Answer 23

Differential Association refers to learning behavior through direct or indirect interactions with others.

Question 24

How does imitation contribute to Differential Reinforcement Theory?

Answer 24

Imitation involves observational learning experiences, such as watching TV or films, where individuals adopt behaviors they observe.

Question 25

What are cognitive definitions in Differential Reinforcement Theory?

Answer 25

Cognitive definitions are attitudes toward behaviors (positive or negative) that influence whether those behaviors are adopted.

Question 26

What does Neutralization Theory suggest about criminals?

Answer 26

Neutralization Theory suggests that criminals hold conventional values and attitudes alongside a criminal status and can drift between offending and conventional behaviors.

Question 27

What are subterranean values in Neutralization Theory?

Answer 27

Subterranean values refer to immorality that is deeply embedded in culture but is otherwise condemned by society.

Question 28

What are some techniques of neutralization used by offenders?

Answer 28

Techniques of neutralization include: 1. Denying responsibility 2. Denying injury 3. Denying the victim 4. Condemning the condemners 5. Appealing to higher loyalties 6. Claiming necessity 7. Using the ledger metaphor 8. Rejecting the law 9. Saying "everyone else does it" 10. Claiming entitlement to benefit

Question 29

How is self-concept related to crime in Social Control Theories?

Answer 29

Low self-control comes from weak self-esteem, and self-rejection is linked to a higher likelihood of deviance.

Question 30

What is Containment Theory in Social Control Theories?

Answer 30

Containment Theory suggests that positive self-esteem provides an insulating effect against deviance by reinforcing internal and external controls.

Question 31

What are the two main components of Containment Theory?

Answer 31

1. Containments – Internal and external factors that protect against deviance (e.g., strong self-concept, positive social supports). 2. Crime-producing forces – Internal pushes, external pressures, and external pulls that encourage deviance.

Question 32

What is the dominant version of Social Control Theory?

Answer 32

The dominant version of Social Control Theory states that weak ties and bonds to society lead to deviance.

Question 33

What are the four key elements of Social Control Theory's Social Bonds?

Answer 33

1. Attachment – Sensitivity to and interest in others; a social conscience and care for others, starting in the family. 2. Commitment – Time, energy, and effort in pursuing a conventional life (e.g., getting an education, saving money). 3. Involvement – Engagement in conventional activities leaves less time for criminal behavior; boredom/idleness increases crime’s attractiveness. 4. Belief – Strong belief in conventional norms and values discourages deviance.

Question 34

How does attachment influence social control?

Answer 34

Attachment refers to sensitivity and interest in others, fostering a social conscience and care for others, which starts in the family.

Question 35

How does commitment deter criminal behavior?

Answer 35

Commitment represents the time, energy, and effort individuals invest in pursuing a conventional life, such as education and financial stability, reducing the likelihood of engaging in crime.

Question 36

How does involvement in activities affect crime?

Answer 36

Being involved in conventional activities leaves less time for criminal behavior, while boredom and idleness increase the attractiveness of crime.

Question 37

How does belief in societal norms prevent crime?

Answer 37

A strong belief in conventional norms and values discourages individuals from engaging in deviant or criminal behavior.

Question 38

What is the core idea of Labeling Theory?

Answer 38

Labeling Theory suggests that labels assigned to individuals influence their self-identity and behavior, potentially reinforcing deviant behavior.

Question 39

How does Symbolic Interaction Theory relate to Labeling Theory?

Answer 39

Symbolic Interaction Theory states that people communicate meaning and interpret reality based on their understanding of symbols, including labels.

Question 40

What do labels imply about individuals?

Answer 40

Labels imply characteristics outside of an individual's inherent traits, influencing how they are perceived and treated by society.

Question 41

Why are positive and negative labels significant in Labeling Theory?

Answer 41

Positive and negative labels require interpretation and adoption by individuals, shaping their identity and actions.

Question 42

How can labeling contribute to deviance?

Answer 42

Labeling can lead to a stronger commitment to a deviant career, increased social isolation, and may lock individuals into deviance.

Question 43

How do institutions like police, courts, and corrections influence labeling?

Answer 43

Police, courts, and corrections reinforce and produce stigma through the application of labels, which can impact an individual's future behavior and societal perception.

Question 44

How are crime and deviance defined in Labeling Theory?

Answer 44

Crime and deviance are defined by others' reactions to our behavior, not by the moral content of the act itself.

Question 45

Who is responsible for labeling individuals as deviant?

Answer 45

Labeling is done by crime control institutions (e.g., police, courts) and close social groups.

Question 46

What are moral entrepreneurs in Labeling Theory?

Answer 46

Moral entrepreneurs are interest groups that control social life and legal order to promote their set of moral values.

Question 47

What is Differential Enforcement?

Answer 47

Differential Enforcement refers to the idea that the law is not applied evenly or fairly, with factors like race, wealth, gender, and social standing influencing the likelihood of arrest and sanction.

Question 48

How do laws reflect power relationships in society?

Answer 48

Laws and punishments are often uneven and benefit some groups over others, reinforcing existing power structures in society.

Question 49

How did NWMP respond to the "threat" of Indigenous peoples?

Answer 49

The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) initially responded to Indigenous peoples as a "threat," which later influenced more modern approaches to policing.

Question 50

How can Labeling Theory be applied on a macro-social level?

Answer 50

The micro-social approach of Labeling Theory can be expanded to a macro-social level through Conflict Theory, which examines how power and inequality shape law enforcement and legal systems.

Question 51

What is social distance in the context of labeling?

Answer 51

Social distance refers to how a person can be labeled as deviant due to power differences between the labeler and the person being labeled.

Question 52

How does social distance impact sentencing and processing?

Answer 52

There is a disparity in sentencing and processing between marginalized groups and those who are privileged, often leading to unequal treatment in the justice system.

Question 53

Do all labeled individuals engage in crime?

Answer 53

No, not all labeled people choose to engage in crime, but the stigma of the label can still affect them.

Question 54

What are the main effects of labeling?

Answer 54

Labeling creates stigma and affects an individual’s self-image, potentially influencing future behavior.

Question 55

What is master status in labeling theory?

Answer 55

Master status is an identity that overrides all other aspects of a person’s self-perception and how they are perceived by society.

Question 56

What is the dramatization of evil in labeling theory?

Answer 56

The dramatization of evil refers to how reactions to deviance create a feedback loop that reinforces the deviant label, leading individuals to internalize it.

Question 57

What is primary deviance?

Answer 57

Primary deviance refers to deviant acts that go undetected or unsanctioned, meaning they do not result in a deviant label.

Question 58

What is secondary deviance?

Answer 58

Secondary deviance occurs when deviant acts are sanctioned, leading to the individual adopting the deviant label as part of their personal identity.

Question 59

How does labeling contribute to secondary deviance?

Answer 59

When a person is labeled as deviant due to sanctioned behavior, they may internalize the label and continue engaging in deviant actions as part of their identity.