SOCIALOGICAL THEORIES and GANG VIOLENCE
Abstract
The sociological analysis of gang membership explores the different types of effects that arise due to criminal involvement. Because of the social conflicts that are associated with gang membership, this paper will explore the different theories of social learning and both personal and control issues that relate to the recent surge in crime across Chicago. As we open the doors of a crime ridden society, the truth begins to unfold. It isn’t just the thought of helping, it is the action that remains the barrier between living a life of crime or a life that carries hope.
The number of violent encounters has readily declined, yet, violence has flooded the streets of
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Based on Ronald Akers ideology of social learning theory, many people commit crimes based on the observations they encounter. These observations can come from a number of sources such as, media, family, and peers. Family and friends as well as the social norms of a neighborhood can be influential to an individual because of acceptance. This theory also says that based on positive or negative reinforcements an individual’s behavior will be based on the rewards or punishments that are given. If given an opportunity to change the violence that occurs among neighborhoods there are many who choose to do so (Akers, 1990).
Social control and social learning both suggest that behavior is a choice based . However, when looking at the two theories they actually take a different stance. Social learning theory suggests that individuals join gangs to feel that sense of security as well as living the glamorized lifestyle and their attempt to fill the void of an absent parent. Social learning theory is best stated as learned behavior based on the environmental and social attachment that one has to a community. Social learning is telling us that people have a choice to make a rationalized decision based on their observations of others, but remain adamant to state that their interactions with the social surroundings will be taken into consideration as well (Lilly, Cullen, & Ball, 2011).
Social and personal Control, by Reiss suggest that deviant behavior is based on the bond
An individual need to encounter it some place for them to have that attitude of a criminal. This can be gained from peers, parents, teachers neighbors, etc. According to the Social learning theory which is, "learning behavior that is controlled by environmental influences rather than by innate or internal forces" (Britannica Criminology 2017) has been connected to this program and is the motivation behind why pack savagery diminished. In this program, there are similarly invested individuals who endeavor to better their groups, encourage the instruction and unite individuals through positive neighborhood group events. The social learning hypothesis additionally suggests that youngsters who learn positive conduct will keep on becoming positive grown-ups. Indeed, even individuals who have had pessimistic inclinations can change their negative behavior patterns when they are encompassed around individuals with propensities that help better them. Aristotle once said, "Good habits formed at youth make all the difference". He believed that when you are growing up that is the most imperative time in someone's life due to the fact that the brain is learning new information rapidly. Children are also able to distinguish the difference in social class as well.
Social control theory and social learning theory are two theories that suggest why deviant behavior is chosen to be acted upon by some individuals and not others. Both take a different stance on the issue. Social control theory suggests people’s behavior is based on their bonds to society, if they have strong bonds to society they conform and if not they have a tendency to act out or become involved in criminal or deviant behavior. Social learning theory suggest that through vicarious learning people learn from observing others and based on what the observe make the choice of whether to copy those actions to obtain desired results or chose not to if
The Social Learning Theory is similar to the Differential Association Theory in the respect that they both depend on the approval of others. It says that "...crime is something learned by normal people as they adapt to other people and the conditions of their environment" (Bohm, 2001: 82). People learn by reinforcement weather it is positive or negative. Growing up Kody began to feel more and more that his mom no longer expressed any love or care for him, but that she only nagged him. After returning home from juvenile hall the greeting that Kody got from his mother wasn't exactly what he wanted. "I knew she meant well, but I wasn't up to it tonight. I wanted to be loved, to be missed, to be wanted, not scolded" (Scott, 1993: 173). The
Aker wants people to develop motivation to commit crime, and the skills to commit crime through the people they associate with. The social learning is that when people learn bad behavior by watching others and learning from the social factors in their daily lives. They also see with differential association and imitation can be either positive or negative. On the positive side we see when people are rewarded for their action we began to see more crime occur. Though on the negative side we see can still see a lot of crime occur, but when they know what the consequences are for the crime they are less likely to do it again, or even commit a crime. Though the social learning theory gives us four central concepts. They are differential association,
According to the social learning theory, the reason people commit crime is because of the social groups they interact with. While attracting with these groups, individuals can learn the lifestyles of these groups and also learn whether to commit crimes or not depending on the amount of interactions with these groups and the intensity of those interactions. The basic idea of the author in the article is why people become stoopers and according to John Rosecrance, people become stoopers because it provides them an income with which they can survive. Another reason individuals become stoopers is because they are on their own and don’t have to answer to anyone in a higher position than them. For example, they don’t
There is not one specific response on why the juveniles resort to criminal behavior, but there are abundance amounts of biological, sociological and psychological theories that can help obtain rationales and comprehension to better comprehend thee juveniles. All of these circumstances contribute a massive role in the way adolescents view their lives and help them turn to lawbreaking behavior. Once these theories have been cautiously studied and critiqued, administering them to our juveniles in an individualized situation can help discourage and persist in these children from selecting a life of criminal behavior and abnormality. Considering the brief review of social learning hypothesis as depicted before, the focal suspicion and suggestion of social learning theory can be best compressed in the two after explanations: juveniles misbehave when they have a disorderly family life and when children hang around the same crowd that are not beneficial in their childhood development. It merits accentuating that social learning hypothesis is a general hypothesis in that it offers a clarification for why people first take an interest in wrongdoing and aberrance, why they keep on culpable, why they heighten and deescalate, why they practice and sum up, and why they cease from criminal and degenerate
This paper will be going over social learning theory and how it affects juveniles and its relation to Juvenal delinquency. Social learning theory states that learning social behaviors happens through observation and learning from others. This paper will be explaining how family, friends, and socialization affect the child's behaviors in relation to juvenile delinquency. Also going over the strengths and weaknesses of the social learning theory.
Sutherland also argues that impersonal factors such as the media, and strangers do not affect one 's deviance, but rather it is close, personal peer groups such as close friends and family that have a large effect (Sutherland, 1947; Bereska, 2014; Matsueda, 1988, 2001, O’Grady, 2014, Williams III and McShane, 2013). Finally, the last main tenant of Sutherland 's theory is that these associations can vary in time, intensity, frequency, and priority (Sutherland, 1947; Bereska, 2014; Matsueda, 1988, 2001, O’Grady 2014, Williams III and McShane, 2013), potentially leading to some periods of deviance, and some periods of conformity. Sutherland 's theory has evolved through his own later work, co-authored with Donald Cressey, as well through other theorists works including Akers social learning theory developed in the 1970’s, Bandura’s social learning theory developed in the 1970’s as well, and Sykes and Matza’s neutralization theory in the 1950’s. Differential association is one of the most important and widely used theories in criminology that was pioneering in the use of sociological factors to explain deviance.
The social learning theory in criminology states that people learn by observing others, then attempt to replicate those behaviors they observed. These behaviors are learned through three different ways according to the social learning theory. The first says that people learn by observing others behaviors, and the rewards they receive by doing them. The second says that people learn from observing others behaviors and the punishment that follows. The third way says that people learn by observing others and receive no consequences for their actions. This paper will attempt to show the pros and cons of social learning theory in criminology, and how it relates to statistical data.
The social learning theory says that people learn their behaviors from those they associate with, meaning if a person’s best friend is a “good” person, that behavior will rub off onto that person. According to social learning theory, people engage in crime because of their association with others who engage in crime (Crossman). Their criminal behavior is reinforced and they learn beliefs that are favorable to crime (Crossman). They essentially have criminal models that they associate with (Crossman). As a consequence, these individuals come to view crime as something that is desirable, or at least justifiable in certain situations (Crossman).
Social Learning theory is a criminology theory established by Ronald Akers. Akers wrote “Deviant Behavior: A Social Learning Approach” to explain what he believed drove individuals to participate in deviant behavior. Social learning theory describes deviance as a learned behavior. When individuals witness others whom they have a close relationship with, such as friends and family, partake in deviant behavior they are likely to engage in the same activities. They begin to believe this behavior is normal and appropriate. These individuals will develop the same definitions for certain actions and adopt the habits of those within their primary group. When they participate in these actions, they may have more positive reactions than negative,
Social learning theory is a general theory which takes into account cultural, social, and non-social factors to explain crime and deviance. There has been much support for this theory including cross-culturally, smoking among teens in Iowa stud, Akers test with Drinking of the elderly, cheating with college students, adolescent and drug/alcohol abuse with Boys Town study, and more. Social learning theory states that it social learning shapes a person self-control, so growing up a person that learns from non-deviant peers and family members will learn to have high self-control. This theory focuses on four different concepts to explain crime and deviance.
As we know today, that Akers Social Learning Theory (SLT) is one of the central theories within criminology that helps us understand and explain what causes criminal and deviant behavior, as well as the “changes of understanding how they might be embraces socially, nonsocial, and cultural factors operating both to motivate and control criminal behavior and both to promote and undermine conformity” (“Empirical Status of”, n.d.). So, are there any types of limitation for Social Leaning Theory? This is what we will be discussing in this report.
Social control theory suggest that crime occurs when such bonds are weakened or are not well established. Self-control theory argue that without such bonds, crime is an inevitable outcome. Hence, criminality is considered as a possibility for all individuals within society, bypassed only by those who seek to maintain family and social bonds. These bonds are based on attachment to those within and outside of the family, including friends, teachers, and co-workers, commitment to activities which individuals has invested time and energy in, such as educational, being involved in activities that serve to further bond an individual to others and leave limited time to become involved in deviant activities, and belief in wider social values.
Ronald Akers social learning theory shows how crime is a learned behavior from the social interaction with others and the communities they live in. He better explains this theory through key concepts like differential association, definitions, imitation, and differential reinforcement to define his theory.