Differential Association Theory

• What does Edwin Sutherland believe influences crime commitment?

  Opinions of people you care about
• What term did Edwin Sutherland create?

  Differential association
• What does differential association reject?

  Biological ideas around offending
• How is criminality defined according to Sutherland?

  Participation in a cultural tradition
• What is learned through socialization?

  Norms and values of society
• How do criminals learn deviant norms and values?

  From the people surrounding them
• What increases the likelihood of committing crime?

  More people with pro-criminal attitudes
• What role does reinforcement play in criminal behavior?

  Provides social approval or disapproval
• What can criminals learn from their peers?

  Actual offending techniques
• What might a father teach his son in a criminal context?

  How to pick a lock
• What do criminals often receive from committing crimes?

  Material benefits and rewards
• What type of crime did Sutherland write about?

  White collar crime
• How does differential association apply to peer groups?

  It explains varying attitudes towards crime
• What is a practical application of differential association theory?

  Separate first-time offenders from experienced criminals
• What should communities with pro-criminal attitudes do?

  Change the narrative and offer alternatives
• What did Sutherland reject regarding criminals in the 1930s?

  The idea of born criminals
• What was a policy related to genetic ideas about criminality?

  Eugenics and forced sterilization
• Why does differential association theory struggle with male crime rates?

  Males have more socializing experience
• What is a limitation of evidence in differential association theory?

  It is mostly correlational
• What is niche picking in the context of criminal behavior?

  Seeking out others with criminal attitudes
• What are the key components of differential association theory?

  • Criminality is learned through socialization
  • Influenced by pro-criminal attitudes in peers
  • Techniques of offending are passed down
  • Reinforcement through social approval and material benefits
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of differential association theory?

  Strengths:

  • Explains both violent and white-collar crime
  • Highlights the role of social environment

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Correlational evidence limits conclusions
  • Fails to explain gender differences in crime
  • Overlooks genetic influences on behavior