Reviewing Social Control Theories On Individuals Criminology Essay

Reviewing mixer Control Theories On Individuals Criminology Essay1. found on exclusively of the theories you confuse been exposed to so far in the course, choose the peerless supposition that you think is the best at explaining crime. Comp atomic number 18 it to at least cardinal other theories and discuss how the scheme you chose represents an improvement everywhere the other two. Be specific and be sure to cite the empirical research to support your argument.Based on all the theories I have been exposed to in this course so far, hearty tick surmise is the best at explaining crime. Social control theory explains crime in terms of the individuals social relationships and focuses on the absence of signifi backsidet relationships with conventional others and institutions (Agnew, 199248). The theory utilizes issues of consistency, so instead of theorizing about the motives of criminal mien, the social control theory ask, Why do people conform? In this theory people believ e that friendships ability to control social groups affects whether an jejune turns to a life of crime or not. Social control theory comes from the teaching theories which are developed from family ties or other social circles that individuals interact with so as to learn what is right and what is wrong. When these controlling influences are weak or rendered ineffective and absent, society frees the individual to deviate from legal and moral norms therefore, crime often does occur. In particular, crime is most liable(predicate) to when (1) when the adolescent is not attached to the parents, school, or other institutions (2) parents and others fail to monitor and effectively sanction deviance (3) the adolescents actual or anticipated investment in conventional society is minimal and (4) the adolescent has not internalized conventional beliefs (Agnew, 199249).Although tonal pattern, social control, and differential association theory/social discipline theory are all sociological theories, seek theory is distinguished from social control and social erudition theory in its specification of (1) the role of social relationship that leads to delinquency and (2) the motivation for delinquency. Strain theory focuses explicitly on negative relationships with others relationships in which the individual is not treated as he or she wants to be treated. Agnews developed a new theory, general widen theory that defines measurements of strain, the major types of strain, the links between strain and crime, coping strategies to strain, the determinants of delinquent or non-delinquent sort, and policy recommendations that are based on this theory which introduced a new perspective on the original theory that was written off a few decades ago. While social control theory rests on the premise that the breakdown of society frees the individual to commit crime, strain theory is focused on the public press that is placed on the individual to commit crime (Agnew, 199249). According to the strain theory, individual deviance is caused as a result of negative relationships or intervention from others and this result in anger and frustration (Agnew, 1997a31). Agnews strain theory was developed from the work of Durkheim and Merton and addressed mevery of the criticisms of the original strain theory, however it lacked the supporting info and still had several flaws like the original strain theory. Strain theory can cause more negative sprightlinesss in an individual including defeat, despair, and fear, but the feeling that is most applicable to crime is anger. For example, an increase in strain would lead to an increase in anger, which may then lead to an increase in crime. Social control theory represents an improvement over the strain theory as it explains that if an individual has certain morals and social values that they live by and grew up believing that they are more likely to seek a socially acceptable mode of achieving their goals and not let feelings of defeat, despair, fear, and anger lead them to respond to strain with crime. The strain theory affect creates pressure for corrective action which may lead adolescents to (1) make use of illegitimate channels of goal achievement, (2) attack or escape from the microbe of their adversity, and/or (3) manage their negative affect through with(predicate) the use of illegal drugs (Agnew, 199249). Social control theory, by contrast, denies that outside forces pressure the adolescent into crime but rather, the absence of significant relationships with other individuals and groups frees the adolescent to engage in delinquency in response to inner forces or situational inducements.Social nurture theory (SLT) is distinguished from strain and control theory by its focus on constructive relations with deviant others (Agnew, 199249). Social information theory focuses on the general principles that (1) people can learn by observing the behavior of others and the outcomes of those behaviors (If people observe positive, desired outcomes in the observed behavior, they are more likely to model, imitate, and adopt the behavior themselves), (2) learning can occur without a change in behavior, and (3) cognition plays a role in learning. This theory incorporates aspects of behavioral learning (assumes that peoples environment cause people to behave in certain ways) and cognitive learning (presumes that psychological factors are important for influencing how one behaves) factors that are important for influencing how one behaves. Social learning theory outlines three stages for people to learn and model behavior include (a) attention retention (remembering what one observed), (b) reproduction (ability to reproduce the behavior), and (c) motivation (good reason) to want to adopt the behavior (Agnew, 199249). The social learning theory claims that the relationship with illegal peers will lead to a criminal lifestyle that changes the values of achieving achiever in a l egit way. Reisss theory of personal and social control states that delinquency results when there is a relative absence of internalized norms and rules governing behavior in conformity with the norms of the social system to which legal penalties are attached (Lilly, 200785). One disadvantage of the social learning theory is that it does not account for what may be considered positive it focuses more on the factors perceived as negative by the learner. Social control theory represents an improvement as it seeks to reign over and guide social learning toward obedience specific to an agenda outside the learners. Social learning is a change in behavior that is controlled by environmental influences rather than by unlettered or internal forces that occurs through observing the consequences of others and by determining if such behavior is worth replicating. The theory of social control emphasizes on the role of society in the control of criminal behavior and proposes social learning wit h the help of social control which is why I chose the theory of social control over the social learning theory. The Theory of Social Control is widely cited in criminology in addition it has also been explored by the realist philosophers and represented by Travis Hirschi, a pro-pounder of business Realism. While no single theory can explain why everyone commits crime social control theory does look at the causations of crime from learning theories. They teach us that morals are taught in families and other social circles and that these morals keep individuals from committing crimes they are taught are wrong. The main premise of control theories is that When controls are present, crime does not occur when controls are absent, crime often does occur (Beaver, 2010). Social control theory does give explanation by teaching us that when people hold tightly to certain morals and social values they are more likely to seek a socially acceptable way of achieving their goals.3. During our cou rse discussion, many of you pointed out that the criminological theories that we discussed have both strengths and limitations. This is a view that is held by many criminologists. One way to overcome this problem is to fuse theories into a single perspective. You are responsible for creating an coordinated theory that incorporates elements from at least three theories. Be sure to provide a detailed outline of this theory, including how you were able to integrate components from other theories.During certain parts of history, criminological thoughts had various ways such as criminological theories on crime causation that had been allot together into a single perspective. One way to overcome this problem is to create an integrated theory that incorporates elements such as combining these great ideas evince by the concepts of differential association theory that was developed by Edwin Sutherland, Mertons theory on deviance from his 1938 analysis of the relationship between culture , structure and anomy, and Robert Agnews general strain theory to provide a more holy and comprehensive reasoning that some individuals commit crime but some individuals do not.Although many criminologists have viewed the criminological theories to have both strengths and limitations, it is by no means one single theory but the ideas from the three slighted altered theories that will help in providing a better explanation and understanding of criminal behavior. The first theory, differential association by Sutherland (194975) explains that deviant behavior is absorbed just like any other behavior through interactions with others human beings. Sutherlands differential association predicts that an individual will choose the criminal path when the balance of definitions for law-breaking (unfavorable) exceeds those for law-abiding (favorable). Ultimately, the theory focuses on how individuals learn how to become criminals, which is because of an excess of definitions favorable to brea king the laws. Along the lines of differential association this theory of criminal desire holds that every individual behavior is learned from their interaction with the environment (Sutherland, 194976). From a researchers perspective, an individual will view society differently if they are gainfully employed as opposed to unemployed, if in a supportive and loving family or abused by parents. However, individuals might respond differently to the same situation depending on how their experience predisposes them to define their flowing surroundings (Sutherland, 194977). However, the integrated theory learning process is not limited to just differential associations, as is the case with Sutherlands theory, besides acknowledging the influence of both military personnel and non-human (i.e. money and social gain) objects.The second theory drawn upon the present formulation is Mertons theory on deviance from his 1938 analysis of the relationship between culture, structure and anomie. Mer tons theory involves the interactions and importance between different culturally defined goals what social arrangement makes them possible to achieve. According to Merton, anomie, derived from Emile Durkheim, if such cultural success is not achievable through legitimate practices than individuals will likely to illegitimate means available for reaching them. In short, over speech pattern on material success (i.e. the American dream as an emphasis on the goal of monetary achievement) and lack of opportunity for such success leads to deviant acts that will be against the law. Institutional anomie theory, as published by Steven Messner and Richard Rosenfeld, proposed that the American societal pursuit of monetary success leads to anomie, or a departure from normal, sanctioned behaviors and a break from institutional social controls (Lilly, Cullen, and Ball, 200790). As anomie increases, so does the level of criminal behavior used by individuals to obtain monetary success (Lilly, Cull en, and Ball, 200790). As such, the integrated theory provides a more blameless and comprehensive explanation on the concepts that were established by Merton by providing an adequate explanations of them, Which would include classifying each, and every one as learned phenomena. Additionally, Mertons theory is the main source of agitation, thereby leading an individual to deviant acts of crime, when these culturally defined goals of individuals are likely not to be achieved through legitimate processes.Last, the general strain theory revised by Robert Agnew was developed from the work of Durkheim and Merton and taken from the original theory of anomie. According to the original strain theory, an increase in aspirations and a decrease in expectations should lead to an increase in delinquency however, this was not found to be the case (Agnew, 1985152). Also, the original strain theory predicted a concentration of delinquent behavior in the lower class, but research proved that delinq uency was also common in the middle and upper classes (Agnew, 1985152). Other variables are also omit by this theory of strain, such as the abandonment of crime in late adolescence and the quality of family relationships (Agnew, 1985152-153). Agnews general strain theory broadened the scope to include many more variable that were not addressed in the original strain theory as he attempted to explore strain theory for a perspective that accounted for goals other than monetary success and that considered an individuals position in social class, expectations for the future, and associations with criminal others (Agnew et al., 1996683). General strain theory is a broad theory that can be applied to many different aspects of delinquency (ways of measuring strain, the different types of strain, and the link between strain and crime), however in the integrated theory an individuals must(prenominal) also be taught how to cope without the help of others through involvement in social skills improvement, problem-solving training, and anger control programs which should lead to a decrease in delinquency.The integrated theory that incorporates elements would combine these ideas expressed by the concepts of differential association theory, Mertons theory on deviance from his 1938 analysis of the relationship between culture, structure and anomie, and Robert Agnews general strain theory, will explain all any types of criminal behavior, both violent non-violent. The crimes could involve economically driven crimes (theft, robbery, etc.) or white-collar crimes which each would be the direct result of a need to satisfy desires due to an inability to do so through the social means. I believe the integrated theory provides an accurate and comprehensive analysis defining delinquency with an explanation as to why some individuals commit crime where others do not. The integrate theory can be utilized to implement policies geared towards helping to lessen crime and help in providi ng a better explanation and understanding of criminal behavior.