Social Psychological Explanations Of Criminals Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is gender socialisation?
The learning of socially approved behaviours, gender norms, values and attitudes that have been associated by biological sex.
What is social learning theory?
Behaviour is learnt through observation + imitation - most commonly from role models. We learn gender specific behaviours from our same sex parent.
Men typically work, mothers stay at home. Boys had less frequent access to fathers as role models.
Boys being socialised by mothers tend to rebel against feminine behaviours + search for masculine influence. They seek masculinity in peers who reinforce aggressive masculine behaviours
How does socialisation link to crim behaviours?
Socialisation through male peer groups encourages behaviours that likely lead to crime.
Anne Oakley - ‘the dividing line between what is masculine and criminal may at times be a thin one’.
What are the patterns of socialisation?
Sex-role theory: boys + girls are socialised differently, meaning that boys are more likely to become criminal than girls.
Sutherland identifies how girls are socialised in a manner which is far more supervisory + controlled; this limits the number of opportunities to be defiant.
In contrast, boys are socialised to be more aggressive which makes defiance more likely.
Apply gender socialisation to the man up project.
If crim behaviour is caused by the way in which we socialise boys, we need to address this to reduce crim behaviour.
The man up project aims to challenge some of the negative stereotypes, attitudes and behaviours experienced by men as a result of a want/need to fulfil masculine stereotypes and expectations. By promoting more ‘feminine’ strategies for conflict management + displaying more male role models that display non-aggressive behaviour - this could influence how males perceive ‘masculine’ behaviour.
What is a strength/weakness of the gender socialisation explanation of crim behaviour (more holistic)?
More holistic - focuses on gender stereotypes of society as a whole. Difficult to study in detail, more complete.
What is a strength/weakness of the gender socialisation explanation of crim behaviour (man up)?
Creation of man up project - ethical, promotes healthy behaviour = reduce aggressive behaviour. However, no effectiveness supporting research.
What is a strength/weakness of the gender socialisation explanation of crim behaviour (deterministic)?
Deterministic - crim behaviour is learnt from environment (family/peers). Powerless, cannot change and may take away responsibility from crimes. Makes behaviour predictable.
What is differential association?
People vary in the frequency with which they associate with others that have more/less favorable attitudes towards crime. These attitudes influence our behaviour.
It’s considered to be a social learning theory (behaviour is learnt through observation, imitation and reinforcement.
How does differential association/SLT link to crim behaviour?
If you spend time around people who commit crime/have positive attitudes towards crime = more likely to engage in criminal behaviour as you take these beliefs.
If you don’t spend time with these people then you are less likely to commit crimes.
How is crim behaviour learnt?
Through a process of communication in intimate groups (family/friends).
1. Requisite skills + techniques for committing crime. Eg, computer fraud.
2. Definitions favourable/unfavourable to crime verbalisations and rationalisations to make a crime justified/unjustified. Eg, favourable to tax fraud - ‘everyone can cheat on their taxes’.
Unfavourable to tax fraud - ‘tax fraud deprives Americans of important programs that benefit the commonwealth’.
What are the 3 conditions that need to be met for someone to engage in crim behaviour?
- Person had learnt the requisite skills/techniques for committing crime.
- Person has learnt an excess of definitions favourable to crime.
- Person has the objective opportunity to carry out the crime.
How does DA vary in frequency/duration/intensity?
Sutherland suggested that definitions are presented more frequently, for a longer period of time, early in one’s life and in more intense relationships receive more weight in the process of producing crime.
What did Osborn and West find?
They compared sons of criminal and non-criminal fathers, 13% of sons with non-criminal fathers had criminal convications, 40% for those with criminal fathers.
This shows that sons of criminal fathers are being exposed to frequent favourable definition of crime which increases the likelihood of engaging in criminal behaviour.
What is a strength/weakness of the differential association explanation of crim behaviour (deterministic)?
Soft determinism - some element of free will - you can leave criminal influences behind but environment can still determine crim behaviour. Makes behaviour easier to predict, however may feel powerless to not become criminal.
What is a weakness of the differential association explanation of crim behaviour (nurture)?
Ignores nature/other factors. Eg, genes. So is incomplete - cannot fully explain criminal behaviours.
What is a strength/weakness of the differential association explanation of crim behaviour (applications)?
Remove children from criminal families, however ethical issues so education around this topic might be better.
