Differential Association Content

Question 1

What were Sutherland’s nine key principles in differential association theory?

Answer 1

1. Criminal behaviour is learned rather than inherited
2. The learning of criminal behaviour comes through ASSOCIATION with others
3. This association occurs with intimate personal groups (e.g friends and family)
4. The behaviour that is learned are the criminal techniques and attitudes/motivations.
5. The learning is directional i.e for or against crime
6. If the majority of attitudes learned are favourable for crime, a person becomes an offender
7. Learning experiences vary in frequency and intensity for each individual (differential associations)
8. Criminal behaviour is learned in same way as any other behaviour
9. General ‘needs’ is not an excuse for crime as many have those needs but don’t turn to crime

Question 2

What branch of -ology is differential association theory associated with and why?

Answer 2

Sociology as it suggests criminal behaviour can be explained in terms of social learning
- people are socialised into a life of crime (can be primary or secondary socialisation)

Question 3

What is primary and secondary socialisation?

Answer 3

Primary socialisation: social norms taught by those with a primary relationship e.g a friend/family
Secondary socialisation: social norms learnt through interacting with those outside of our personal relationships

Question 4

What is the recipe for offending behaviour according to Sutherland?

Answer 4

1. High frequency - the criminal attitude/crime is spoken about very often
2. High intensity - the crime is spoken about in depth
3. High duration - the crime is spoken about for a prolonged period of time

Question 5

What three factors did Sutherland theorise turned an individual to crime?

Answer 5

Frequency, duration and intensity of their social contacts

Question 6

Why is the theory named differential association theory?

Answer 6

Differential - varying in frequency
Association - how we relate to people who have more or less favourable attitudes towards crime
Primary and secondary socialisation impact how frequently we bump into these people, giving us an opportunity to associate with them

Question 7

What two criminal-related activities are learnt through Sutherland’s theory?

Answer 7

. Learning criminal attitudes through socialisation
. Learning how to carry out specific methods to commit crimes

Question 8

Why are social norms important in the morality of what is learned through socialisation?

Answer 8

Social norms and primary socialisation will create a picture for an individual on whether crimes are acceptable at all, which ones are acceptable and which ones are worth doing (varies a lot by community)

Question 9

How is secondary socialisation often the critical factor in developing criminal behaviour?

Answer 9

The wider neighbourhood around you may support criminal involvement more/less than your close family due to being in a different social organisation
- even if the social groups aren’t criminals themselves, they may still hold deviant attitudes or accept these attitudes

Question 10

Which type of learning theory does Sutherland’s theory most likely utilise?

Answer 10

Direct and indirect operant conditioning (operant conditioning and social learning theory)
- deviant behaviour may be reinforced through praised or punished by family and peers
- role models will influence individuals to imitate their behaviours, so if they turn to crime and are successful in it, it would provide vicarious reinforcement