Class 14 - Social Process Theories

Question 1

What is Neutralization Theory?

Answer 1

Neutralization Theory suggests that criminals hold conventional values and attitudes alongside a criminal status and are able to neutralize their behavior, drifting between offending and conventional behaviors.

Question 2

What are subterranean values in Neutralization Theory?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What are the techniques of neutralization?

Answer 3

1. Deny responsibility
2. Deny injury
3. Deny the victim
4. Condemn the condemners
5. Appeal to higher loyalties
6. Necessity
7. Ledger metaphor (balancing “good” and “bad” actions)
8. Rejection of law
9. “Everyone else does it”
10. Entitlement to benefit

Question 4

How does Neutralization Theory explain criminal behavior?

Answer 4

It explains that criminals rationalize their actions through techniques of neutralization, allowing them to drift between conventional and deviant behaviors without fully committing to a deviant identity.

Question 5

What is the relationship between self-concept and crime in social control theories?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What is Containment Theory?

Answer 6

Containment Theory suggests that positive self-esteem provides an insulating effect against deviance. Internal and external factors (containments) help insulate youths from deviance, while crime-producing forces like internal pushes, external pressures, and external pulls encourage deviance.

Question 7

What is the dominant version of social control theory?

Answer 7

The dominant version of social control theory suggests that weak ties and bonds to society contribute to deviant behavior.

Question 8

What are “crime-producing forces” in Containment Theory?

Answer 8

Crime-producing forces include internal pushes, external pressures, and external pulls that encourage deviance.

Question 9

What are the four elements of social bonds in Social Control Theory?

Answer 9

1. Attachment – Sensitivity and interest in others; social conscience and care for others, starting in the family.
2. Commitment – Time, energy, and effort in pursuing a conventional life (education, saving money).
3. Involvement – Engaging in conventional activities reduces time for criminality; boredom/idleness increases crime’s attractiveness.
4. Belief – Faith in conventional norms and values.

Question 10

How does attachment influence social bonds in Social Control Theory?

Answer 10

Attachment refers to an individual’s sensitivity and interest in others, fostering social conscience and care, which often begins in the family. Strong attachment discourages deviant behavior.

Question 11

What role does commitment play in Social Control Theory?

Answer 11

Commitment represents the time, energy, and effort spent in conventional pursuits like education and financial stability. Higher commitment discourages deviant behavior.

Question 12

How does involvement affect the likelihood of criminal behavior?

Answer 12

Engaging in conventional activities leaves less time for criminality. Boredom and idleness increase the attractiveness of crime.

Question 13

What is the role of belief in Social Control Theory?

Answer 13

Belief refers to an individual’s faith in conventional norms and values. Strong belief in societal norms reduces the likelihood of deviance.

Question 14

What is the core idea of Labelling Theory?

Answer 14

Labelling Theory suggests that people communicate meaning and interpret reality based on symbols (Symbolic Interaction Theory). It emphasizes how labels assigned by society influence identity and behavior.

Question 15

What do labels imply in Labelling Theory?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

How do positive and negative labels function in Labelling Theory?

Answer 16

Positive and negative labels require interpretation and adoption. Over time, individuals may internalize these labels, influencing their self-identity and behavior.

Question 17

How can labelling contribute to deviance?

Answer 17

Labelling can lead to deeper commitment to a deviant career, increased social isolation, and ultimately lock individuals into deviant behavior.

Question 18

What role do police, courts, and corrections play in Labelling Theory?

Answer 18

Police, courts, and corrections reinforce and produce stigma through their role in labelling individuals as deviant, potentially perpetuating criminal identities.

Question 19

How are crime and deviance defined in Crime and Labelling Theory?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Who is responsible for labelling individuals as criminals or deviants?

Answer 20

Crime control institutions (e.g., police, courts) and close social groups determine who gets labelled as deviant.

Question 21

What are moral entrepreneurs in Crime and Labelling Theory?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What is Differential Enforcement?

Answer 22

Differential Enforcement refers to how laws are not applied evenly or fairly, with factors like race, wealth, gender, and social standing affecting the likelihood of arrest and sanction.

Question 23

How do laws reflect power relationships in society?

Answer 23

Laws and punishments are unevenly applied, often benefiting some groups over others, reinforcing existing power dynamics.

Question 24

What historical example is given for Differential Enforcement?

Answer 24

NWMP (North-West Mounted Police) responded to the “threat” of Indigenous peoples, leading to more modern approaches to policing.

Question 25

How does labelling theory connect to conflict theory in Differential Enforcement?

Answer 25

A micro-social approach of labelling theory (individual level) can be applied to a macro-social approach of conflict theory (systemic power struggles).

Question 26

What is social distance in the context of labelling?

Answer 26

Social distance refers to how a person can be labelled as deviant due to differences in power between the labeller and the labelled individual.

Question 27

How does sentencing and processing disparity relate to labelling?

Answer 27

Sentencing and processing disparities exist between marginalized individuals and privileged groups, affecting how people are labelled in the criminal justice system.

Question 28

Do all labelled individuals engage in crime?

Answer 28

No, not all labelled individuals choose to engage in crime, but the label itself can have consequences on their identity and treatment by society.

Question 29

What are the main effects of labelling on an individual?

Answer 29

Labelling creates stigma and can negatively affect self-image.

Question 30

What is "master status" in labelling theory?

Answer 30

Master status is an identity that overrides all others, meaning the deviant label becomes the primary way an individual is perceived.

Question 31

What is the dramatization of evil?

Answer 31

The dramatization of evil is when reactions to deviance create a feedback loop that is internalized, reinforcing the deviant identity.

Question 32

What is primary deviance?

Answer 32

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

Question 33

What is secondary deviance?

Answer 33

Secondary deviance occurs when deviant acts are sanctioned, leading to the deviant label becoming a basis for personal identity.

Question 34

How does primary deviance differ from secondary deviance?

Answer 34

Primary deviance is when a deviant act goes unnoticed or without formal punishment, while secondary deviance happens when an individual is labelled as deviant, reinforcing their deviant identity.

Question 35

Elle takes a jacket from the mall without paying for it and isn’t noticed or apprehended. This is an example of: a. Primary deviance b. Secondary deviance c. Stigmatization d. Commitment to conformity

Answer 35

Answer: a. Primary deviance Primary deviance refers to deviant acts that go undetected or unsanctioned, meaning the individual does not face consequences or develop a deviant identity.

Question 36

What is the General Theory of Deviance?

Answer 36

The General Theory of Deviance suggests that some people cannot conform to social group standards and, as a result, face negative sanctions.

Question 37

How does deviant subculture membership relate to the General Theory of Deviance?

Answer 37

Deviant subculture membership involves conforming to new norms that conflict with the norms of society.

Question 38

How does defying conventional values impact offenders?

Answer 38

Defying conventional values distances an offender from future criticism.

Question 39

What effect do sanctions on adolescents have according to the General Theory of Deviance?

Answer 39

Imposing sanctions on adolescents can lead to self-rejection, deviant peer associations, and deviance amplification.

Question 40

What does differential social control suggest about self-evaluations?

Answer 40

elf-evaluations reflect actual (or perceived) appraisals made by others.

Question 41

How does the need for acceptance contribute to deviance according to differential social control?

Answer 41

People seek out acceptance, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy where youth aiming to avoid stigma and negative labels seek out groups that they believe will accept them.

Question 42

What type of groups do individuals seeking acceptance often join, according to differential social control?

Answer 42

These groups are often already deviant.

Question 43

Who is most likely to be labeled according to bias in labeling theory?

Answer 43

Those who are powerless.

Question 44

How does discretion in law enforcement contribute to bias in labeling?

Answer 44

It leads to discrimination.

Question 45

What effect does labeling have on identity and self-image?

Answer 45

Labeling has pervasive effects on identity and self-image, reinforcing deviant behavior.

Question 46

How does labeling influence future behavior?

Answer 46

People who are labeled have a greater likelihood of being involved in deviance and continuing to offend.

Question 47

What are some key issues with labeling theory?

Answer 47

Issues include explaining the onset of deviance, reintegration, and whether deviance is truly relative.

Question 48

What role does labeling theory identify in crime causation?

Answer 48

It highlights the role played by social control agents in defining and enforcing crime.

Question 49

Does labeling theory pathologize crime?

Answer 49

No, labeling theory does not pathologize crime but focuses on the effects of social reactions.

Question 50

How does labeling theory distinguish different types of deviance?

Answer 50

It differentiates between primary deviance (criminal acts) and secondary deviance (criminal careers).

Question 51

What is the main idea of Integrated Theory?

Answer 51

It is a practical and substantive approach that combines multiple factors to explain crime rather than relying on a single cause.

Question 52

Why are multifactor theories important in explaining crime?

Answer 52

Crime cannot be explained by looking at just one factor; using multiple perspectives prevents social division.

Question 53

What are latent traits in the context of crime?

Answer 53

Latent traits are stable characteristics or conditions present at birth that may make an individual more prone to crime over their life course.

Question 54

What does Life Course Theory suggest about criminal behavior?

Answer 54

Criminal offending patterns change over a person’s life and are influenced by conditions or events occurring at various stages.

Question 55

What factors influence criminal careers?

Answer 55

Structure, socialization, biology, psychology, and opportunity.

Question 56

What does the Social Development Model (SDM) integrate?

Answer 56

It integrates social control, social learning, and structural models.

Question 57

How do pre-existing risk factors influence behavior in SDM?

Answer 57

They are either reinforced or neutralized through socialization.

Question 58

What role do pro-social bonds play in SDM?

Answer 58

Pro-social bonds, developed within early family life, provide opportunities for success throughout the life course (e.g., academic success, conventional beliefs).

Question 59

How do commitment and attachment function in SDM?

Answer 59

Commitment and attachment to conventional institutions, activities, and beliefs help insulate youth from crime.

Question 60

What theories does Elliott’s Integrated Theory combine?

Answer 60

It integrates strain, social learning, and control theories.

Question 61

How does strain theory relate to Elliott’s Integrated Theory?

Answer 61

Strain theory falls under structural models, and Elliott focuses on how prosocial bonds break down.

Question 62

What is the main focus of Elliott’s Integrated Theory?

Answer 62

It examines the breakdown of prosocial bonds and how it influences deviant behavior.

Question 63

What does the Integrated Structural Marxist Theory combine?

Answer 63

It integrates conflict concepts with social structural and social process theories.

Question 64

According to Integrated Structural Marxist Theory, what is the cause of crime?

Answer 64

Crime results from conflict in family relationships and is influenced by the quality of working experiences.

Question 65

How is criminal behavior explained in social process theory?

Answer 65

Criminal behavior is considered part of our socialization process.

Question 66

What factors contribute to disruptions in social institutions and processes?

Answer 66

Disruptions occur in family, school, peers, the criminal justice system (CJS), and the workplace.

Question 67

What supports social process theories?

Answer 67

A strong research foundation supports social process theories.

Question 68

What is growing in the study of social process theory?

Answer 68

There is a growing understanding of interconnected variables.

Question 69

What key questions arise in evaluating social process theory?

Answer 69

How do we explain temporal differences, regional differences, desistance, and escalation?

Question 70

What policy move in the 1950s was influenced by social process theory?

Answer 70

The idea that if people can learn attitudes that predispose them to criminality, they can also be socialized to follow conventional norms.

Question 71

What is youth diversion in the context of social process theory?

Answer 71

Youth diversion is an alternative to formal sentencing that involves restitution, apology, and volunteer work to rebuild community bonds.

Question 72

What are early interventions in crime prevention?

Answer 72

Early interventions involve encouraging youth to succeed in school and pushing them to attend university.

Question 73

What is conditional sentencing?

Answer 73

Conditional sentencing allows offenders to serve their time in the community instead of in prison.

Question 74

What does labeling theory argue about punishment?

Answer 74

Labeling theory suggests that "less is better," advocating for diversion programs and rehabilitation instead of harsh punishments.

Question 75

What question is raised about diversion programs and rehabilitation?

Answer 75

Do these programs reduce stigma for offenders?