The Differential Association Theory Criminology Essay

The Differential Association Theory Criminology Essay Theories within criminology try to explain why and how crime occurs. This is done through examining various facts that are related to the individuals criminal behaviour and the crime they commit. There are a wide range of theories which can be used to explain the causes of crime and deviant behaviour from youths. Youth crime is a major issue in society; this essay will discuss three theories, the differential association theory, the labelling theory and the rationale choice theory. The theories will discussed and how they can explain crime will also be discussed, then a comparison of the theories will be given in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses in explaining youth crime. The differential association theory is one of the most valued theories within criminology. This theory was first discovered by Edwin Sutherland (1947), he developed the differential association theory in order to explain how youths engage in acts of criminal behaviour. This theory defines criminal behaviour as learnt behaviour which is acquired through social contact with other individuals (Hollin, 2007:). This theory explains how individuals learn how to engage in criminal behaviour through their attitudes, drive and motive behind the criminal act. An individual is most likely to be involved in criminal behaviour if they spend numerous amount of time with a person who has a criminal background and believes that breaking the law is acceptable. Furthermore Sutherland (1974) identifies nine main factors that can be used to explain why a person engages in criminal behaviour. This essay will now explain the nine factors in detail. The first factor that Sutherland believes is the reason as to why an individual engages in criminal behaviour is because the behaviour is learned. Sutherland and Cressey (1960) believe that the actions of an individual are influenced by the people they associate with. It is believed that because the individual main association is with their family, as that is whom they have grown up and live with, so therefore the individual social values and norms are formulated from them. Sutherland also stated that learned behaviour is not invented, nor is it inherited The skills and techniques required for an individual to engage criminal activity are not automatically obtained from birth, or through association with criminals, instead they are acquired through a process of learning (Sutherland Cressey, 1960: 123). The second principle refutes the idea that criminal behaviour is learned through the individual witnessing deviant or criminal behaviour. Instead this believes that criminality is learned behaviour though interaction with others in the process of communication. At a very young age children are accustomed to the norms of society, they are taught the roles of both a genders by people around them. They also learn these roles by observing the male or female characteristics relating to the specific gender. For example an individual may learn about prostitution through witnessing the nonverbal responses of these others towards the activity, such as rolling the eyes or staring and through discussions with people who engage in that activity (Sutherland Cressey, 1960: 123). Also Curran (2001) stated that communication is an example of how criminals are misled into a life of crime and deviant behaviour (Curran, 2001: 143). The third principle states that individuals commit crime because they are influenced by the behaviour of intimate people such as family members and close friends. Methods of communication from television and or media are less effective in influencing the individual (Sutherland and Cressey, 1960: 123). The fourth factor from Sutherlands theory is that learning criminal behaviour involves learning specific techniques, drives, motives and rationalization. Having a primary group of people around does not necessarily mean that the individual will engage in crime, but it does mean that they have the resources into the criminal rationale. For example being around a person who is has been convicted of sexual offence, may give the individual knowledge into how to engage in the same crime, but the individual may choose not to engage in that crime because they know from their socialization of societal norms that a sexual offence is unacceptable (Sutherland and Cressey, 1960: 123). Curran (2001) believes that the specific direction of motives and attitudes is learned from definitions of legal codes such as favourable and unfavourable.The fifth factor can be noticed when considering cultures form the United Kingdom and the United States. Both countries have various cultures within them and eac h culture has different perceptions as to what is favourable and unfavourable within society and this can cause a cultural conflict. The individuals pro-criminal or anti-criminal intentions are developed based on learned conceptions of the law as either favourable or unfavourable (Sutherland Cressey, 1960:123) The most important principle within the differential association theory is the sixth principle, which is when individuals associate themselves with people that engage in criminal behaviour and believe it is acceptable. Sutherland argues that an individual becomes delinquent only when definitions favourable to violation of law exceed definitions unfavourable to violation of law (Sutherland Cressey, 1960: 123).The seventh and eight factor states that the association vary in duration, priority, frequency and intensity. (Sutherland Cressey, 1960: 123 124). For example, if a young child is raised by a drug user they will be exposed to stronger definitions of deviant behaviour and will be more to likely to engage in deviant behaviour, than a teenager who has witnesses someone taking drugs at a party.The final principle believes that even though criminal behaviour is an expression of needs and values, it cannot be explained by those needs because criminal behaviour is an expression of th e same needs and values (Sutherland Cressey,1960: 124). For example if two individuals where both motivated by a need to gain money and respect, but one person engage in criminal behaviour in order to get the money and respect. Whereas the other person engaged in conforming behaviour. So therefore the need for money and respect cannot be used as an explanation for an individual to commit crime. The second theory that will be discussed is labelling theory. This theory claims that deviance and conformity does not emerge from the individuals actions, but rather from how others respond to the actions. Marcionis and Plummer (2005) state that labelling theory highlights social response to crime and deviance. The labelling theory became dominant in the early 1960s and the late 1970s when it was used as a sociological theory of crime influential in challenging orthodox positivity criminology. The main academics in this theory were Becker and Lement. Lement (1951) first established the view of deviant, and later developed by Becker (1963). Labelling theory has become a dominant paradigm in the explanation of deviance. This theory is created by the assumption that deviant behaviour is to be not only by the violation of norms within society, but also by any behaviour which is defined as labelled or deviant. Deviance is not the act itself, but the responses other individuals give to th e act. Becker (1963) believed that social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitute deviance, and by applying those rules to particular individuals and labelling them as outsiders. He also stated that deviance is not the act that the individual commits, but the consequences of the application of others by rules and sanctions to an offender. And the deviant one is whom the label has successfully been applied to. Deviance has been distinguished into primary and secondary deviance by Lement (1951). Lement described primary deviance as little reactions from others which have little effect on an individuals self-concept and secondary deviance as people pushing the deviant individual out of the social circle, which can therefore cause the individual to seek the company of people who condone deviant behaviour. Lement (1951) further argued that instead of viewing crime as a leading to control, it may be more productive to view crime as something with control agencies structured. Secondary deviance leads Goffman (1963) to define deviant career. Goffman stated that people who acquire a stigma which is a powerful negative label which changes a persons self-concept and social identity. Criminal prosecution is one way in which an individual is labelled in a negative, rather than positive way. Scheff (1984) believes that stigmatizing people can often lead to retrospective labelling, which is the understa nding of an individuals past with the present deviance. Scheff (1984) also believes that retrospective labelling distorts an individuals life in a prejudicial way guided by stigma and this is an unfair thing to do. Stigmatizing young people may actually lead them into a deviant career. Howard Becker (1963) claimed that social groups create deviance by labelling individuals as outsiders. Through an application of infraction constitute deviance. Furthermore labelling theorys approach to deviance mainly concentrates on the social reaction to a deviant act committed by an individual as well as the interaction process that leads up to the labelling. This theory therefor suggests that too much attention has been given to criminals by criminology because criminology views criminals as types of people alongside the insufficient attention to the collection of social control responses. This therefore means that the police, law, media and public association help shape crime. This is supported by the conflict theory which shows how deviance reflects on inequalities and power. This approach may also signify that the cause of crime may be linked to inequalities of race, class and gender. The conflict theory links deviance to the power of norms and the imagery of the rich and pow erful, which the law society supports. The concept of secondary deviance, stigma and deviant career all demonstrate how individuals can incorporate the label of deviance into a lasting self-concept . Becker (1963) believes that labelling is a practical act that has made politicians aware of which rules to enforce and what behaviour they should regard as deviant. The effects upon an individual being publically labelled deviant have been examined by Becker (1963) he believes that a label is an unbiased onion, which contains an evaluation of the individual to whom it is applied. The labelling theory will be a master label in term of captivating over all other statuses the individuals are under. For example if one is labelled as a paedophile, criminal or homosexual it will be difficult for the individual to overlook these labels and see themselves in positive roles such a parent, friend, worker and neighbour. Other people will view that individual and respond to them according to the label, also they will assume that the indi vidual has the negative characteristics associated with the label. Eventually the individual will view themselves in that label because their self-concept is derived from the responses of others. This can then produce a self-fulfilling prophecy where the deviant becomes the controlling one. The third theory that will be discussed is the strain theory. Unlike the differential association and labelling, this theory believes that social structures within society can influence individuals to commit crimes. Merton (1938) suggests that there are two types of important elements of social structure. These elements are the cultural goals, the function of the goals and interests The second element is how phases of the social structure define how society can go about achieving these goals, by placing regulations and creating laws (Merton, 1938: 673). Merton (1938) demonstrates four responses to this strain. The first, conformity, Merton suggests that people who take this path subscribe to cultural goals and go about achieving these goals by using societys institutionalized means. The second path, innovation, suggests that when a person finds that an obstacle inhibits the ability to achieve the cultural goals, the person will not use institutionalized means; rather, they will emplo y other means. The third path, ritualism, describes a person that will reject the culture goals of society, but use its institutions as an avenue for advancement. The fourth, is the polar opposite of the path of conformity such that a person who is retreatist will reject cultural goals and its institutionalized means, people that take this path are people who essentially are not part of society (Tim Newburn, 2007: 176). The American dream is a popular culturally defined goal, Merton argued, which through honest-dedicated work, anyone can achieve this dream of wealth. Society defines what avenues are to be considered legitimate to achieve this goal, for example, earning a college degree and earning a high paying job would be a legitimate path as defined by our society. Since wealth in American is not distributed equally Merton (1938) argued that strain often occurs for those who are undercapitalized and do not have access to these legitimate means. (Tim Newburn, 2007:175 176). Strain theory can cause negative feelings from the outside environment. These feelings include fear, defeat and despair, the most applicable feeling that can occur is anger. Agnew (1992) emphasised that individuals become angry when they blame their negative relationships and circumstances on others (Agnew, 1992: 59). An individual is incited with anger, low inhibitions and they begin to create a desire for revenge (Agnew, 1992: 60). Agnew stated that individuals who are subjected to repetitive strain are more likely to engage in delinquent and criminal acts, this is due to the fact that the individual becomes aggressive because they are unable to cope and the negative strain may become too much for them (Agnew, 1992: 61). Overall all three theories give a good explanation of youth crime. The similarity between these theories is they all aim to give a detailed explanation as to why individuals engage in crime and deviance. Differential association theory believes that all behaviour is learned and so therefore deviant behaviour is also learned. This theory focuses on key variables such as the age of the learner, the intensity of contact with the deviant person whom they learn from and the amount of good and bad social contacts they have in their lives. Whereas the labelling theory explains deviance as a social process where individuals are able to define others as deviant. This theory emphasises on the fact that deviance is relative and the individual only becomes deviant when they are labelled. Alongside this strain theory explains deviance as the outcome of social strains within the way society is structured. Not all theories give a good explanation for tackling youth crime, the labelling theory states that the label is the route of criminal behaviour, this is not a good explanation because there is a reason an individual becomes a burglar, not because they have been labelled as one. The individual is aware that their actions are deviant and that they are breaking the law. Some academics believe that there should be more research into the labelling theory and why individuals engage in criminal behaviour. The left realist have stated that the idea of avoiding labelling in order to avoid deviance is unrealistic. Also Aker (1967) criticised the labelling theory for claiming that deviants are normal individuals who have been labelled. However the labelling theory fails to explain why some individuals are labelled and some are not. Another criticism of the labelling theory is that it is possible to reject the label. Becker (1963) claimed that once an individual is labelled and accepts the devi ant behaviour, all their other qualities become irrelevant and the label becomes their master status. However there are examples that show it is possible to reject the label. This example comes from Reiss (19610 study on young male prostitutes. Although the males engage in homosexual behaviour they regard this behaviour as work and still maintain their straight image despite working as prostitutes. This study shows that the labelling theory is open to negotiation as some individuals reject the label. Differential association theory and the strain theory can be used to tackle youth crime. The differential association accepts that criminal behaviour is evident across all social classes, and that criminal attitudes and behaviour is learned through interaction with influential groups. In order to tackle youth crime the government will need to introduce organizations that aim at using positive role models to encourage young individuals who do not have positive role models in their lifes. By doing so individuals can learn positive behaviour instead of deviant behaviour from people who engage in unacceptable behaviour. The differential theory has been criticised in Glueck (1956) article on Theory and fact in Criminology. Glueck stated that it is difficult to measure the frequency, duration, priority and intensity of an individuals association, so therefore this males it impossible to predict and measure how associations result in the learning of criminal behaviour. It could be argued th at the individual did not learn criminal behaviour from an intimate social group, because the duration, frequency, priority and intensity was not sufficient. Glueck (1956) argued that if there is no sufficiency then the theory is not falsifiable which therefore males it defective. Finally the strain theory can be used to tackle youth crime because it explains the strains with society that may influence individuals to engage in criminal activity. This theory can enable the government to improve the social structure within society, for example providing more employment and better education opportunities. Strain theory has been criticised by Cohen (1955) who stated that the theory can be accounted for some but not all deviant behaviour. Cohen also criticised Mertons theory of strain for being too individualistic in describing the adaptations to strain (Pfohl, 1994: 269).

Anayas Bless Me, Ultima: A Psychological Critique of Religions Essay

Christianity, Judaism, Islam. These are only a few of the many religions in this world. How does one choose which religion to follow? Is it their background, nationality, belief, or because that’s the only thing they have always known or come in contact with? The concept of religion is a complex one, a concept to be investigated and questioned. This is the journey that Antonio Marex Luna explores in Rudolfo Anaya’s (1972) Chicano novel Bless Me, Ultima. Throughout the novel, Antonio fights a psychological war in his mind about all the religions and faiths that surround him in his everyday routine. All his life he was raised to believe in God, and as a result he grew to be a devote Catholic. However, some of his beliefs alter when Ultima, a curandera, comes to live with his family. By witnessing her mysterious powers, Antonio begins to question his beliefs. For many years following Ultima’s arrival Antonio balanced the religions of both worlds, by praying to the Virgin Mary while his brothers were away at war, as well as helping Ultima pick and care for her many magical herbs. At first, he didn’t compare the two faiths, but as time went on, he knew it was time to choose which path he wanted to follow into his future. It was his mother’s dream for Antonio to grow to be a priest and be considered a leader of the people and he deeply wanted to grant his mother’s wish. Even at the young age of 6, he would act priestly by blessing those who were in most need. For example, he was there for Narciso’s his last confession and performed the man’s last rites as he lay on his deathbed. Antonio also put a blessing over his brothers so that they would be safe as they left home. Throughout the novel, Antonio suffered an excessive ... ...the carp, he witnessed something elemental, magical, and miraculous without much effort and continued to hear the stories told with great detail and logic. With further investigation he concludes that the legend of the Magic Carp could have very well taken place. With these two concepts of religion, Antonio battles and organizes his thoughts through questions and observation. At certain points he believes that he will be sent to hell for believing in the stories of the King of the Fish. After all, the golden carp is a natural, pagan deity compared to the Christian God Antonio is used to worshipping. But in the end, that too is the teachings of Ultima’s wisdom, Antonio realizes he must learn to live in a world in which Catholicism and the golden carp can coexist, and he must grow to impart knowledge and enlightenment from all the spiritual forces in his life.

Conventional and organic food products Essay

While conventional food products are still dominating American market, the phrase â€Å"healthy eating† is gradually gaining popularity. To supplement this new trendy belief, a wave of organic products is sweeping across this nation’s grocery stores. But do people really realize the differences between conventional and organic products as they mound their shopping carts? Do they know that the main differences between the two categories of foods actually lie in their processing procedures, advertising strategies, and product ingredients? When people look at an organic product, the first thing they are most likely to notice is its cost. Which, under normal circumstances, is remarkably higher than average products. Since people have the misconception that the word â€Å"organic† on food labels means â€Å"all natural,† they accepted this phenomenon as a necessary price to pay for a healthy life, but it merely indicates that the product is minimally processed and is preservative free. The true reason behind the intimidating price of organic product is because organic production prohibits the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides as well as genetic manipulation of plants. These standards require greater labor input from organic farmers to provide a purer product, and at the same time help to protect our environment. People expect a â€Å"fair price† for conventional foods, because they are well informed of its manufacturing process. Modern machinery allows factories to undergo mass-production, thus little manual labor is required. This not only leads to increments in the yield, but also lowers the overall cost of production. Though the reasonable price of conventional products is beneficial to one’s budget, chemical preservatives are used during the manufacturing process. Conventional cropping practices may also include a combination fungicide/insecticide treatment to protect the seed from soil diseases and insects, which poses potential harm to our health and environment. Since the prices of organic products are far from alluring, and at the same time tend to have less variety, organic producers advertise their products by their nutritional appeals. Ostentatious statements such as â€Å"good for  life†, or â€Å"nature’s best† are printed unsparingly on the packages; accompanied by idealized pictures of nature. TV commercials for organic products are rarely seen; if people happen to see one, they will find themselves viewing a beautiful field of crops or a lively farm with cows mooing and chickens cackling. A middle-aged man in agrarian overalls will then come along to accentuate the freshness of their products with earnest. The popular demand for conventional food generates large profit for conventional food producers, which enables them to innovate more varieties of products and to advertise their products more efficiently on TV commercials. The majority of these commercials take place away from rural settings; they are either in a nice house, a fancy restaurant, or some imaginary land. While the well-dressed actors and actresses are feasting on the food products, a confident male voice will pop up in the background to announce that their products are better than those of others. Other than well-animated TV commercials, imagery also plays a key role in packaging. The producers wrap their products up in boxes that are covered by bright colors and decorated with popular food icons to attract consumers’ attention. Messages such as â€Å"50% more volume† or â€Å"free CD inside† can also be found on packages for promotion purposes. Nutritionists are placing an unprecedented amount of emphasize on organic products, which makes people feel compelled to read the list of ingredients before buying it. That’s when the buyers will be pleasantly surprised to discover that they can actually understand the list. For instance, the ingredients of organic milk are simply: certified organic grade A milk, and Vitamin D3. This unique feature not only helps consumers to identify an organic product, but also provides a sense of security when people consume the product. When people pick up a conventional product, they glance at it to check for defects, and then toss it into the cart. It is unlikely that anyone is going to read the ingredient list closely. Not only because people are so used to the products they use, that they tend to neglect the details, but also because the ingredient list of a conventional product is nearly meaningless  to the consumers. Reading the ingredient list of a processed food is like reading data from a chemistry book; it is incomprehensible and boring. For example, a simple bottle of conventional milk can consist up to four kinds of added chemicals. Therefore, the long list of scientific components does nothing more than bewilders the customers. Even though organic foods differ from conventional foods in many aspects, study shows that there are no substantial differences between their taste and safety. Buying an organic product is more of an act of protecting the environment than promoting one’s own health. If consumers’ budget allows, they should buy more organic products, because it is a simple way of giving back to the Mother Nature, and help to preserve biological stability on earth.

Charity Marketing Analysis NSPCC Free Essay Example, 3000 words

Body Q1 Social marketing strategies have been adopted by UK government in order to create long term impact on public welfare and health. Social marketing can be defined as a mechanism which is utilized to attract target audience’s attention so as to benefit society along with the individual. This method is based on developing, communicating, exchanging and delivering offerings. Social marketing facilitates positive value creation for partners, individuals, society and clients (Fill, Hughes and Francesco, 2013). The term social marketing was found in 1971 by Zaltman and Kotler. There have been a lot of studies conducted on social marketing concept. This concept encompasses four important principles like exchange, segmentation, 4Ps and competition. The exchange principle outlines that behaviour of people is changed due to receiving a particular thing in exchange. It is predicted, receivables in exchange have greater value and less barriers in comparison to alternatives (Napoli, 2006). Social marketing is not inclined towards providing benefits to marketer rather it influences behavioural aspect of society. This approach comprises of wide range of theories like psychological theory, consumer behaviour, psychodynamics, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Charity Marketing Analysis: NSPCC or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Funders are often observed not to have a clear understanding about social marketing but they play a vital role in sustaining these practices. There lies a difference between target group and funders in non-profit sector. The first stage of social marketing is planning which comprises of marketing mix. However social marketing focuses on additional P’s known as publics, partnerships and policy. Purpose indicates the social issue of a social marketing plan like pollution reduction, water quality, etc. UK government over the years have supported development and implementation of wide array of social marketing campaigns. All these campaigns revolve around creating a better society and enhancing well-being of individuals. One of the most influential social marketing campaigns of UK was ‘change 4 life’. England encompasses a decent percentage of population who are either obese or overweight (Bruce, 2013). The major objective of UK gove rnment while designing this creative campaign was to retain healthy weight in the society. On basis of this campaign child obesity was supposed to be reduced by a desirable percentage. UK government through this campaign was running a cross-government strategy. It mainly comprised of investing into wide scale of measures like increased funding for early years and pregnancy.