CRIM 104 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Police Athletic League, Psychopathy, Control Theory

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRIM 104
• Professor: Barry Cartwright

Document Summary

Reading 11: social control theory and developmental life course theories. Origins of social control theory can be traced back to durkheim and chicago school of sociology. Social control theory is listed by cullen, wright and blevins as one of the three core theories that have dominated criminological thinking. Durkheim felt individual aspirations knew no natural bounds: though civilization, humans would be unrestrained and lacking gin moral standards, therefore, social controls were necessary if individuals were to understand the boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Hirschi used durkheim"s notion that many individuals would be inclined to engage in deviance in the absence of effective social controls or social bonds. Shaw and mckay were among the forerunners of contemporary social control theory: they identified a cause effect relationship between social disorganization and the breakdown of informal social controls, youth in zones in transition were freed from social restraints.