Transcript Control theories - Cooley, Wilson Hall, Sociology Lab

Control theories
Nye’s theory
Matza’ theory
Hirschi’s theory
Self-control theory
Question for extra credit
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Do you believe it is “latent trait” that makes a
person crime prone, or is crime is a function
of environment and socialization?
Control Theories
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Control theories take the opposite approach from
other theories
Instead of asking what drives people to commit
crime, they ask why do most people not commit
crime
All human beings suffer from innate human
weaknesses which make them unable to resist
temptation
Control Theories: Main points
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Focus on restraining or "controlling" factors that
are broken or missing inside the personalities of
criminals
Control theory investigate the ways in which our
behavior is regulated, including the influences of
family, school, morals, values, beliefs, etc.
It is this regulation that is seen as leading to
conformity and compliance with the rules of
society
Forerunners of Control Theory
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Emile Durkheim (late 19th century)
Industrial revolution
Collapse of social solidarity, the destruction of
fundamental bonds uniting individuals
Different social order-each person is forced to
go alone
Forerunners of Control Theory
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“collective force of society” was weakened
“relaxation of social bonds” is leading to
extreme individualism
Result - Anomie and suicide
The nature of “man” (Durkheim)
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Homo Duplex concept
Social self – product of socialization, a civilized
member of society
Egoistic self- is comprised of animal urges not
controlled by society’s rules
Proper socialization, the egoistic self could become
integrated into social self
Without this integration, deviance results
Influence of Classical school
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Free will (view individuals as active rather
than passive agents)
Criminal behavior, like any type of behavior,
is a result of rational choice
Internal controls (well-developed conscience)
External Controls (parental discipline,
parental monitoring, laws)
Nye’s (1958) three main categories of
social control that prevent delinquncy
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Direct control, by which punishment is imposed for
misconduct and compliance is rewarded
Indirect control, by which a youth refrains from
delinquency because a particular act might cause
pain/disappointment for parents or significant others
Internal control, by which a youth’s conscience or
sense of quilt prevents him/her from engaging in
delinquent acts
Nye’s theory
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Family is the most important agent of
socialization
The more adolescent's needs for affection,
security, and recognition are met within the
family, they less they will deviate (direct and
indirect controls will be strong)
Sykes and Matza (1957)
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Theory that explained delinquent behavior as
the result of adolescents using “techniques of
neutralization”
These techniques are justifications and
excuses for committing delinquent acts
Delinquents believe in conventional values of
society
Techniques of neutralization
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Denial of responsibility (not my fault)
Denial of injury (they have a lot, they will never
miss it)
Denial of victim (I steal only from “outsiders”,
“rednecks”)
Condemnation of condemners (they are worse than
we are, they cannot blame me)
Appeal to higher loyalties (we have to do it to
protect our turf size)
Matza (1964) - Drift Theory
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Proposes that techniques of neutralization are ways
in which adolescents can get “episodic release” from
norm restraints
Neutralization is a weakening of inner containment
(breaking of the bonds to society)
Adolescents drift form conventional to delinquent
behavior without strong attachment to any of the two
Self-control theory
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Theory states that individuals with high selfcontrol will be less likely at all periods of life
to engage in criminal acts, while individuals
with low self-control are likely to commit
crimes
Self-control
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Self-control develops during early socialization
Once formed in childhood, the amount of selfcontrol remain relatively stable throughout life
The source of low self-control is ineffective
socialization (childrearing)
Parents who are attached to children, supervise,
monitor and punish deviant acts (family is the most
important agent)
Peer groups are relatively unimportant in the
development of self-control
Age-graded Theory
8-9 years
15-24 years
45-55 years
Testability of self-control theory
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“analogous behavior” (smoking, drinking, drug use,
illicit sex) is manifestation of low self-control
Hirschi and Gottfredson do not define “self-control”
separately from propensity to toward
criminal/analogous behavior
Problem of tautology: low self-control causes low
self-control, or deviance causes deviance
A separate measure for low self-control must be
developed
Self-control theory
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Makes individualistic causal arguments
Each and every act of criminal behavior is the
result of unique individual factors such as
traits, which are semi-permanent enduring
personality characteristics
Individuals possess three sets of traits
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(1) traits composing low self-control;
(2) traits predicting involvement in crime
(include low intelligence, high activity level,
physical strength, and adventuresomeness)
(3) other traits that are the result of
socialization (impulsivity, insensitivity, and
inability to delay gratification)