01:920:222 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Travis Hirschi, Social Control Theory, Differential Association
28 Nov 2018
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Document Summary
By contrast, most theories of crime are motivational theories. Hirschi assumes: all juveniles are capable of delinquency: only social bonds or social controls prevent them from becoming delinquent. Hirschi operationalized (measured) his 4 bonds & tested them w/ a self-report survey: surveyed 4000 jr. & senior h. s. students & ask to report on their social bonds & their j. d. Problem: most r"s report respect for police, law; hence belief has no impact on delinquency. Hirschi also claims no class or race differences in the causes of crime: concludes: instead of strain, delinquency more likely had low aspirations/low expectations (ex. No strain, no gap) & thus did not care about school: raises doubts about cohen"s school failure as causing delinquency, hence, he questions cultural deviance theory & black subculture of violence theory. Problem: few tests of hirschi"s theory w/ black or low income samples. More evidence to support sutherland"s differential association theory than hirschi"s.
