SOC 2106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Edwin Sutherland, Radical Feminism, Labeling Theory

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2106
• Professor: Sam Alvaro

Document Summary

Edwin sutherland: introduced the concept of white collar crime. Challenges the stereotype of crime as a lower class phenomenon. Differential association: criminal attitudes and skills are learned: Signi cant others give us de nitions favourable r unfavourable to law-breaking. Too many de nitions favourable to law breaking results in deviance. Associations vary in priority, frequency, duration and intensity. Criminal behaviour is learned just like noncriminal behaviour. Criminal behaviour results from general needs and values, not special needs and values. Deviant friends are particularly important in illegal drug behaviours. Recently cultivated friendships are more important in deviant behaviours. Akers and burgess: differential reinforcement theory aka social learning theory. Deviant behaviour starts as imitation (example; tv) and persists to the extent that it is rewarded or punished (by signi cant others) Associates may be chosen because they reinforce deviant behaviour. Basic premise of labeling theory states that deviance is not just a behaviour but how we respond to the behaviour.