PFP 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Differential Association, Cultural Learning, The Technique
------------= On the Test
Chapter 6 (138-163) Cultural deviance and the formation
Cultural Deviance Theories
● Attribute crime to a set of values that exist in disadvantaged neighbourhoods
● Lower class people have a different set of values, which tends to conflict with the
values
Sutherlands differential association theory
● Crime is learned through social interaction
● The ratio of definitions favourable to violations of the law and definitions
unfavourable to violations of the law determines whether a person will engage in
criminal behaviour
● Cultural transmission: the process whereby values, beliefs and behaviours are
passed from generation to generation through the process of socialization
Sutherlands Nine Propositions(142)
● Criminal behaviour is learned
● Criminal behaviour is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of
communication
● The principal part of the learning of criminal behaviour occurs within inmate
personal groups
● When criminal behaviour is learned, the learning includes
○ The technique of committing a crime
○ The specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations and attitudes
● The spefic direction of motivates and drives is learned from definaitions of the
legal codes as favourable or unfavourable
● A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definations favourable to
violation of law over definations unfavourable to violation of law
● Differentail associations may vary in frequency , duration, priority and intensity
● The process of learning criminal behaviour by association with criminal and anti
crimainal pattrens involved in any other learning
● While criminal behavoiur is an expression of general needs and values, it is not
explained by those ….
------------= On the Test
Critiques of Sutherlands theory
● Does not explain all types of crime
● Does not explain why some people who learn criminal behaviour patterns do not
engage in criminal acts
● No account is taken of non-socail variables or situational factors
● Does not tell us how the first criminal became a criminal
Sellin’s cultures conflict theory (144)
● Sellin argues that different groups have different conduct norms and that the
conduct norms of one group may conflict with those of another
● Conduct norms: norms that regulate our daily lives - rules that reflect the attitude
of the groups to which each of us belongs
● Purpose of conduct norms is to define what is considered appropriate or normal
behaviour and ehat is inappropriate or abnormal behaviour
● The main difference between a criminal and a non-criminal is that each is
responding to different sets of conduct norms
Sellin’s culture conflict theory - Types of conflict
● Primary conflict
○ occurs when norms of cultures clash
● Secondary conflict
○ Arises when a single culture evolves into a variety of cultures, each with
its own set of conduct norms.
Subcultural Theories
● Subcultural
○ A subdivision within the dominant culture that has its own norms, beliefs and
values
● Typically emerge when people in similar circumstances find themselves isolated from the
mainstream and band together
● Delinquent subcultures emerge in response to special problems that memebres of the
dominant culture do not face.
Document Summary
Chapter 6 (138-163) cultural deviance and the formation. Attribute crime to a set of values that exist in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Lower class people have a different set of values, which tends to conflict with the values. The ratio of definitions favourable to violations of the law and definitions unfavourable to violations of the law determines whether a person will engage in criminal behaviour. Cultural transmission: the process whereby values, beliefs and behaviours are passed from generation to generation through the process of socialization. Criminal behaviour is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication. The principal part of the learning of criminal behaviour occurs within inmate personal groups. When criminal behaviour is learned, the learning includes. The specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations and attitudes. The spefic direction of motivates and drives is learned from definaitions of the legal codes as favourable or unfavourable.
