DOCSLIB.ORG

Self-Control Vs. Social Control As an Explanation for Delinquency

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Self-Control Vs. Social Control As an Explanation for Delinquency University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Electronic Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers 2003 Self-control vs. social control as an explanation for delinquency. Marcel Joseph Parent University of Windsor Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd Recommended Citation Parent, Marcel Joseph, "Self-control vs. social control as an explanation for delinquency." (2003). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3415. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/3415 This online database contains the full-text of PhD dissertations and Masters’ theses of University of Windsor students from 1954 forward. These documents are made available for personal study and research purposes only, in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act and the Creative Commons license—CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works). Under this license, works must always be attributed to the copyright holder (original author), cannot be used for any commercial purposes, and may not be altered. Any other use would require the permission of the copyright holder. Students may inquire about withdrawing their dissertation and/or thesis from this database. For additional inquiries, please contact the repository administrator via email ([email protected]) or by telephone at 519-253-3000ext. 3208. SELF-CONTROL VS. SOCIAL CONTROL AS AN EXPLANATION FOR DELINQUENCY by Marcel Parent Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research through Sociology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at the University o f Windsor Windsor, Ontario, Canada 2003 © 2003 Marcel Parent Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. National Library Bibliotheque nationale of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisisitons et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada C anada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 0-612-82893-X Our file Notre reference ISBN: 0-612-82893-X The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, preter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriete du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes reproduced without the author's ou aturement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Canada Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES CERTIFICATE OF EXAMINATION APPROVED BY: dvisor, Dr. Reza Nakhaie .U..C3Lw.^ .-O.c . L. 2nd Reader, Dr. Danielle Soulliere Outside Reader, Dr. Rosanne Menna Psychology Chair of Defense, Dr. Daniel O’Connor Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Self Control Vs. Social Control as an Explanation for Delinquency Marcel Parent (ABSTRACT) Although Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) General Theory of Crime has received much more attention over the last decade than that of Hirschi’s (1969) Social Control Theory, it is imperative that the latter theory’s contribution not be overlooked. Social Control Theory posits that delinquent acts result when an individuals bond to society is weak or broken. Hirschi proposed that the four elements comprising the social bond are attachment, commitment, involvement and belief. Due to the shortcomings of Social Control Theory’s ability to explain delinquency, Gottfredson in collaboration with Hirschi (1990) formulated the General Theory of Crime. At the heart of the authors’ theory rests the assertion that all illegal activity is the manifestation of a single underlying cause, that being “low self control.” Outlined in their theory are six dimensions, which they argue, come to comprise a uni-dimensional trait of low self-control. This thesis was developed in part to test the utility of each theory and to determine which theory has better explanative power in regards to delinquency. Coupled with this, the dimensions of each theory were analyzed to determine which best explained delinquency. Utilizing the National Longitudinal Survey for Children and Youth, individual questions were formulated into scales comprising the dimensions of each theory. The dependent variable, delinquency, was measured by a total of 21 questions which came to formulate an overall delinquency scale as well as III Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. drug involvement, theft, vandalism and violent scales. The sample consists of 1144 children aged 12-13 years. The findings from this research provide partial support for this researchers’ hypothesis that Self-Control Theory is more apt at explaining delinquency than Social Control Theory. However, the two theories taken together are stronger yet. The second hypothesis that behavioural measures of self-control would be more apt at explaining delinquency as compared to attitudinal measures of self-control was confirmed. Results from this research support the incorporation of a physical response dimension when measuring the concept of self-control. Overall, this research attests to The General Theory’s competence in explaining overall delinquency, vandalism and violence, while Social Control Theory is more apt at explaining drug involvement and theft. IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this thesis in loving memory of my father, Gerald Parent who passed away suddenly on July 27, 2002. My dad was a loving husband/father who worked extremely hard for everything and everyone in his life. For his sake and in his name, I will live on and do all things the same. Dad, you were my hero and inspiration and always will be. I would also like to dedicate this work to my fiancee Lana Seeger and my family. Without their support, love, and assistance, none of this would have been possible. I admire, love, and thank you all for standing beside me throughout this work and difficult time in my life. Together we accomplished this goal. Thank you so much. Gerald Parent “Gerry " September 25, iuiy 27, 20W2 hfttrn. t l . deuce Jject... [fhtrtt t must leave you for a Hide w hile- Please Jo >iot grieve and died wild tearj And hag -.our vnrnnv to mu through the years. Hut star! out bravely h ilk a gallant smile, iitd lor my take and m mi name Live oji and do ail things die same. Feed not your loneliness on empty ditvs. fSui nil eueh waking hour in useful » ui Beaidi out your hand id eomfort and in iiheer ar.d ! in atm will comfort m u and hold you near. in ti never- never he afraid w die. lor 1 am waiting for ton in the sk\! Idelett dtiener RiceAi V Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT III DEDICATION V LIST OF TABLES VIII CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION Historical Overview of Control Theories 1 Overview of Social Control Theory 3 Theoretical Roots of Self-Control Theory 5 H. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 12 Importance of Control Variables on Self-Control Theory 20 Criticisms which Plague the General Theory of Crime 22 Novelty of this Thesis 38 Hypotheses 41 HI. METHODOLOGY Sample 42 Research Objective 44 Research Design 45 Factor Analysis: 52 Social Control (Independent variable) 53 Self-Control (Independent variable) 54 Delinquency (Dependent variable) 55 Recoding 55 Scale Construction 60 Reliability Analysis 60 Bivariate Analysis 62 Multiple Regression 64 Model Development 66 IV. RESULTS Bivariate Analysis 71 Regression Analysis for Overall Delinquency 72 Regression Analysis for Delinquent Drug Involvement 76 Regression Analysis for Delinquent Theft 80 Regression Analysis for Delinquent Vandalism 83 Regression Analysis for Delinquent Violence 86 Regression Analysis for Overall Social and Self Control on 89 Overall Delinquency Interactions 93 VI Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. V. DISCUSSION, LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Discussion 98 Limitations 107 Conclusion 112 APPENDIX A: 115 Social Control, Self-control, Delinquency, and Control Scales 116 APPENDIX B: 122 Lists of Tables 123 APPENDIX C: 129 Summary Tables 130 APPENDIX D: 135 NLSCY Coding Scheme for Socio-economic Status 136 REFERENCES 137 VITA AUCTORIS 142 VII Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Means Table for Social and Self-Control and the Various Indexes of Delinquency by Socio-demographics Table 2.1 Unstandardized and Standardized Regression Coefficients of Overall Delinquency on Independent Variables Table 2.2 Unstandardized and Standardized Regression Coefficients of Overall Delinquent Drug Involvement on Independent Variables Table 2.3 Unstandardized and Standardized Regression Coefficients of Overall Delinquent Theft on Independent Variables Table
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Wish 1 Week 7 (3/2): SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY and LIFE
    Week 7 (3/2): SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY AND LIFE-COURSE VARIANTS Hirschi, Travis. 1969. Causes of Delinquency. Berkeley: University of California Press. Chapter 1 Hirschi sets out to explain the differences between control theory, strain theory, and cultural deviance or differential association theories. He offers several criticisms of strain theory, including the fact that strain theory is often unable to account for the desistence from crime after adolescence/during adulthood, the inability of strain theory to account for crime in the middle and upper economic classes, and strain theory’s suggestion that people who accept legitimate goals or whose values conform to those of the larger society are more likely to commit crime (p. 6-10). Hirschi differentiates between control and strain theories by suggesting that control theory “assumes variation in morality” while strain theory assumes that morality/moral values lead to the pressures that result in crime as an attempt to quickly and easily achieve goals (p. 10-11). (Chapter 2 deals exclusively with the definition of control theory). Hirschi also explains “theories of cultural deviance” as similar to differential association. Such theories postulate that while crime or deviance may violate the norms or standards of the majority of society, they also represent a conformity to other norms and standards shared only by a subset of the society. Cultural deviance theory thus explains crime as learned through interactions with specific subsets of the population who have different norms and standards (that accept certain criminal or deviant behaviors shunned by the majority of society). Hirschi points out that while he cannot outright reject cultural deviance theories, they are markedly different in both method and type of findings from social control theories.
    [Show full text]
  • An Examination of the Impact of Criminological Theory on Community Corrections Practice
    December 2016 15 An Examination of the Impact of Criminological Theory on Community Corrections Practice James Byrne University of Massachusetts Lowell Don Hummer Penn State Harrisburg CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORIES ABOUT parole officers in terms of practical advice; to other community corrections programs are to why people commit crime are used—and mis- the contrary, we think a discussion of “cause” is be successful as “people changing” agencies. used—every day by legislative policy makers critical to the ongoing debate over the appro- But can we reasonably expect such diversity and community corrections managers when priate use of community-based sanctions, and flexibility from community corrections they develop new initiatives, sanctions, and and the development of effective community agencies, or is it more likely that one theory— programs; and these theories are also being corrections policies, practices, and programs. or group of theories—will be the dominant applied—and misapplied—by line commu­ However, the degree of uncertainty on the influence on community corrections practice? nity corrections officers in the workplace as cause—or causes—of our crime problem in Based on recent reviews of United States cor­ they classify, supervise, counsel, and con­ the academic community suggests that a rections history, we suspect that one group of trol offenders placed on their caseloads. The certain degree of skepticism is certainly in theories—supported by a dominant political purpose of this article is to provide a brief order when “new” crime control strategies are ideology—will continue to dominate until overview of the major theories of crime causa­ introduced. We need to look carefully at the the challenges to its efficacy move the field— tion and then to consider the implications of theory of crime causation on which these new both ideologically and theoretically—in a new these criminological theories for current and initiatives are based.
    [Show full text]
  • Key Idea: Hirschi's Social Bond/Social Control Theory
    FIVE KEY IDEA: HIRSCHI’S SOCIAL BOND/SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY KEYWORK Hirschi, T. (1969). Causes of delinquency. Berkeley: University of California Press. ravis Hirschi’s social bond/social control theory has remained a major paradigm in criminology since its introduction in 1969. To be sure, Tfew theories have generated as much empirical attention, or have sparked as much debate within the field, as Hirschi’s theory. It has been tested by scholars extensively (Akers & Sellers, 2008) and has been the source of heated disagreements among scholars on both theoretical and empirical grounds (Lilly, Cullen, & Ball, 2007). Hirschi himself has remained a lead- ing figure in the discipline for over four decades now and continues to be among the most cited criminologists year after year (Wright, 2002). Indeed, few scholars can claim to have been this relevant to the field for this long. This was no accident—there’s a reason why his ideas have “caught on” where other ideas (even those that seem to be eerily similar) have been ignored, and such is the focus of this chapter. 55 56 KEY IDEAS IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE 1960S The 1960s were an interesting time in American history for a variety of reasons. This was the decade of clashing values that brought us acid rock; police dogs and fire hoses set upon civil rights demonstrators in the South; Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; phrases like “free love” pitted against laws prohibiting the use of contraception; the burning of draft cards and the fleeing of draft dodgers to Canada; skateboards; miniskirts; the Black Panthers; the assas- sinations of John and Bobby Kennedy and of Martin Luther King, the pres- ence of non-white athletes Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron in major league baseball; the burning of bras by feminists, and the riots at the Democratic National Convention.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Control in Applied Social Science: a Study of Evaluative Researchers' Conformity to Technical Norms
    Maurer School of Law: Indiana University Digital Repository @ Maurer Law Articles by Maurer Faculty Faculty Scholarship 1978 Social Control in Applied Social Science: A Study of Evaluative Researchers' Conformity to Technical Norms Ilene Nagel Bernstein Indiana University School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facpub Part of the Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Recommended Citation Bernstein, Ilene Nagel, "Social Control in Applied Social Science: A Study of Evaluative Researchers' Conformity to Technical Norms" (1978). Articles by Maurer Faculty. 2079. https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facpub/2079 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articles by Maurer Faculty by an authorized administrator of Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH 7, 24-47 (1978) Social Control in Applied Social Science: A Study of Evaluative Researchers’ Conformity to Technical Norms ILENE NAGEL BERNSTEIN Indiana University This paper is a preliminary exploration of the relationship between social factors, and conformity to a set of prescribed methodological norms in applied social science. Focusing our attention on evaluative research, we seek to estimate how variation in type and nature of research sponsorship, research context,
    [Show full text]
  • Creating and Enforcing Norms, with Special Reference to Sanctions Eric B
    University of Chicago Law School Chicago Unbound Coase-Sandor Working Paper Series in Law and Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics Economics 2000 Creating and Enforcing Norms, with Special Reference to Sanctions Eric B. Rasmusen Richard A. Posner Follow this and additional works at: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/law_and_economics Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Eric B. Rasmusen & Richard A. Posner, "Creating and Enforcing Norms, with Special Reference to Sanctions" (John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics Working Paper No. 96, 2000). This Working Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics at Chicago Unbound. It has been accepted for inclusion in Coase-Sandor Working Paper Series in Law and Economics by an authorized administrator of Chicago Unbound. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Creating and Enforcing Norms, with Special Reference to Sanctions RICHARD A. POSNER U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60624 USA E-mail: [email protected]. and ERIC B. RASMUSEN Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, Rm. 456, 1309 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405-1701, USA E-mail: [email protected] Two central puzzles about social norms are how they are enforced and how they are created or modified. The sanctions for the violation of a norm can be categorized as automatic, guilt, shame, informational, bilateral costly, and multilateral costly. The choice of sanction is related to problems in creating and modifying norms. We use our analysis of the creation, modification, and enforcement of norms to analyze the scope of feasible government action either to promote desirable norms or to repress unde- sirable ones.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Criminology
    PART 1 © Nevarpp/iStockphoto/Getty Images Introduction to Criminology CHAPTER 1 Crime and Criminology. 3 CHAPTER 2 The Incidence of Crime . 35 1 © Tithi Luadthong/Shutterstock CHAPTER 1 Crime and Criminology Crime and the fear of crime have permeated the fabric of American life. —Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court1 Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd. —Bertrand Russell2 OBJECTIVES • Define criminology, and understand how this field of study relates to other social science disciplines. Pg. 4 • Understand the meaning of scientific theory and its relationship to research and policy. Pg. 8 • Recognize how the media shape public perceptions of crime. Pg. 19 • Know the criteria for establishing causation, and identify the attributes of good research. Pg. 13 • Understand the politics of criminology and the importance of social context. Pg. 18 • Define criminal law, and understand the conflict and consensus perspectives on the law. Pg. 5 • Describe the various schools of criminological theory and the explanations that they provide. Pg. 9 of the public’s concern about the safety of their com- Introduction munities, crime is a perennial political issue that can- Crime is a social phenomenon that commands the didates for political office are compelled to address. attention and energy of the American public. When Dealing with crime commands a substantial por- crime statistics are announced or a particular crime tion of the country’s tax dollars. Criminal justice sys- goes viral, the public demands that “something be tem operations (police, courts, prisons) cost American done.” American citizens are concerned about their taxpayers over $270 billion annually.
    [Show full text]
  • A Partial Test of Travis Hirschi's Element of Attachment Danielle Ashley Rios Ms
    Southern Illinois University Carbondale OpenSIUC Research Papers Graduate School 2012 Why Gender Matters: A Partial Test of Travis Hirschi's Element of Attachment Danielle Ashley Rios Ms. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp Recommended Citation Rios, Danielle Ashley Ms., "Why Gender Matters: A Partial Test of Travis Hirschi's Element of Attachment" (2012). Research Papers. Paper 238. http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp/238 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at OpenSIUC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Research Papers by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WHY GENDER MATTERS: A PARTIAL TEST OF TRAVIS HIRSCHI’S ELEMENT OF ATTACHMENT by Danielle Ashley Rios B.A., Southern Illinois University, 2010 A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Southern Illinois University Carbondale May 2012 RESEARCH PAPER APPROVAL WHY GENDER MATTERS: A PARTIAL TEST OF TRAVIS HIRSCHI’S ELEMENT OF ATTACHMENT by Danielle Ashley Rios A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in the field of Criminology and Criminal Justice Approved by: Dr. Christopher Mullins, Chair Dr. Danielle Soto Dr. Daniel Hillyard Graduate School Southern Illinois University Carbondale February 23, 2012 AN ABSTRACT OF THE RESEARCH PAPERDANIELLE ASHLEY RIOS, for the Masters of Arts degree in CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, presented on FEBRUARY 23 2012, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
    [Show full text]
  • Resube Cs 501 448
    DOCUMENT RESUBE CS 501 448 ilvey, L. r-- Toward a Txonomy for Conteptualizing Persuasion in the Socia Sciences. 75 19p.;,Paper presented tot-the Social Sciences Division' of the American AssoCiation for the Advancement of Science,Southwest and Rocky Mountain Division, Los Alamos, New Mexico, April 24, 1S75 tP-$ .83 C-$1.67 Plus Postage. .COm nication/ (Thought Tran- er); Definitions; *Di :'course Analysis; *Lang ge Classification; Li rature Reviews; *Persi.sive Discotirse; * pagandat Rhetoric; Rietorical Criticism; *Social Sn .enc4s; iiiTaxonomy r,i / TRFT hiAorcal review o theories of persuasion and its ionshi / /areas as argume3t'and propaganda indicates a' er of wed e$ses in t definitions and taxonomies which been pro De initions an classifications have been 90, times cir0ar in nature, hav reflected the special interests of elr Wuthor have been ambiguo s and vague in category definition, d have adictea one anoth r. As an alternative, persuasion, mould becosidered the singl= encompasing.term in any process of Omuni tic which influence- :thought, belief, attitude, or t/ehav r. Tis conceptualization includes as subcategories of persasion uch other communiCative modes as argumentation; aganda,infOrmation, entertainment, and coercion. (AA) . *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informalunpublished * * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes everyeffort * * to obtain the best copy airailable. Nevertheless, itemsof marginal * * reproducibility are often encountered Andthis affects the quality * * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makesavailable * via the'ERIC Document ReproductionService (EDRS). ERRS is not * responsible for the quality of the original document.Reproductions,* * supplied by EDPS are the best that can be made from theoriginal.
    [Show full text]
  • Deviance and Social Control
    Deviance and Social Control 1 The Sociology of Deviance Going beyond studying the individual to emphasize the context under which the deviant behavior occurs. 2 DEVIANT BEHAVIOR Deviant behavior refers to actions that transgress commonly held norms. What is regarded as deviant can shift from time to time and place to place; “normal” behavior in one cultural setting may be labeled “deviant” in another. 3 Review: Types of Norms Folkways (weakly enforced) the patterns of conventional behavior in a society, norms that apply to everyday matters. Gentle social pressure and imitation. Breaking or questioning a folkway does not cause severe punishment, but may cause the person to be laughed at, frowned upon, or scolded. Some examples of folkways in western culture include respecting the privacy of strangers and eating food with the proper utensil. Mores (strongly enforced) norms of morality. Breaking mores, like attending church in the nude, will offend most people of a culture. Taboos (forbidden) the most extreme form of mores as they forbid a society's most outrageous practices, such as incest and murder. 4 Durkheim on Deviance •Deviance is present in all societies. •Deviance is normal so long is it is not excessive. •Deviance will be present even in a “community of saints.” • Little faults and flaws will be magnified to the same scandalousness as serious offenses, and thus will become5 known as crimes. Durkheim: The Functions of Deviance Help make the norms of society clearer to the majority population Unite the non-deviant members of society (social capital) Promote social change 6 Differential Association Theory Sutherland, 1947 Criminal behavior is learned.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter Eight: Deviance and Social Control
    Chapter Eight: Deviance and Social Control Chapter Summary Sociologists use the term deviance to refer to any violation of rules and norms. From a sociological perspective, deviance is relative. Definitions of “what is deviant” vary across societies and from one group to another within the same society. Howard S. Becker described the interpretation of deviance as, “…not the act itself, but the reaction to the act that makes something deviant.” This coincides with the symbolic interactionist view. In some cases, an individual need not do anything to be labeled a deviant. He or she may be falsely accused or discredited because of a birth defect, race, or disease. Even crime is relative when interpreting the deviance of the actor. Deviance is based on adherence to and violation of norms. Human groups need norms to exist. By making behavior predictable, norms make social life possible. Consequently, all human groups develop a system of social control, which involves formal and informal means of enforcing norms. Those who violate these norms face the danger of being labeled “deviant.” Violators can expect to experience negative sanctions for the violation of norms. Members of society who conform to societal norms, especially those who go above and beyond what is commonly expected, receive positive sanctions. In some societies, such as the Amish, shaming is a common negative sanction that acts strongly as a means of social control, minimizing deviance. Biologists, psychologists, and sociologists have different perspectives on why people violate norms. Biological explanations focus on genetic predispositions, psychologists concentrate on abnormalities within the individual (commonly known as personality disorders), and sociologists look at social factors outside the individual.
    [Show full text]
  • Punishment, Deterrence and Social Control: the Paradox of Punishment in Minority Communities†
    Punishment, Deterrence and Social Control: The Paradox of Punishment in Minority Communities† Jeffrey Fagan* and Tracey L. Meares** Since the early 1970s, the number of individuals in jails and state and federal prisons has grown exponentially. Today, nearly two million people are currently incarcerated in state and federal prisons and local jails. The growth of imprisonment has been borne disproportionately by African-American and Hispanic men from poor communities in urban areas. Rising incarceration should have greatly reduced the crime rate. After all, incapacitated offenders were no longer free to rob, assault, steal, or commit other crimes. However, no large-scale reduction in crime was detected until the mid-1990s. The failure of crime rates to decline commensurately with increases in the rate and severity of punishment reveals a paradox of punishment: recent experiments have shown that among persons of color, especially those who are poor or reside in poor neighborhoods, harsher punishment has produced iatrogenic or counterdeterrent effects. We identify two processes that produce punishment paradoxes or defiance of legal sanctions. First, the long-term and spatially concentrated shift of social and economic resources from informal social controls to formal legal controls, particularly incarceration, weakens localized informal social controls and creates recurring cycles of discontrol. Neighborhood and work contexts offer social status and mete out shame and social opprobria for wrongdoing. However, stable rates of inequality and deprivation in minority communities compromise three dimensions of social control: social capital or regulation, “stakes in conformity” through marriage and work, and participation in political institutions. Second, high rates of punishment produce “stigma erosion” where punishment loses its contingent value that lends credibility to its claims of fairness and proportionality.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Deviance and Social Control Sociology 325 Spring 2018
    Faculty of Arts Department of Sociology Sociology Department Home Page: http://www.soci.ucalgary.ca Introduction to Deviance and Social Control Sociology 325 Spring 2018 COURSE OUTLINE Instructor: Nestar Russell Class Time: T/R, 9:00 – 11:45am Room: ST 135 Office Location: SS 903 E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: 403-220-6502 ext. 2701 (email is best) Office Hours: By appointment, preferably after class (Tuesday/Thursday, 12-1.00pm). Course Description This course will explore critical perspectives on the sociological study of deviance and social control. The following questions will be addressed: What is the interactive connection between power, deviance, and social control? How do social forces affect popular understandings about deviance? What are some of the problems associated with how most people think deviance should be controlled? How does social control shape identities and influence social relations? By the end of this course students will have been exposed to the key historical frameworks, as well as some of the latest research in the field. Course Objectives Students who successfully complete this course will: 1 1. understand the historical context of deviance and social control 2. evaluate classic and contemporary theories of deviance and social control 3. assess the relationships between power, deviance, and social control 4. articulate the interconnections between crime, deviance, and social control 5. develop a critical and self-reflexive lens in relation to the study of deviancy and social control Required Texts: Adler, P., & Adler, P. (2016). Constructions of deviance: Social power, context, and interaction. Scarborough, ON: Nelson Education. Course Schedule Date Topic Completed readings Week 1 – Tues.
    [Show full text]