Micro-level Theories Notes PDF

Micro-level Theories “What is it about the individual that explains their delinquency?”  Pre-Classical Ideas  Deviance attributed to  Punishment focused on  Classical Theories  Thomas Hobbes –  Man’s capacity as a  Focus on  C...

Micro-level Theories “What is it about the individual that explains their delinquency?”  Pre-Classical Ideas  Deviance attributed to  Punishment focused on  Classical Theories  Thomas Hobbes –  Man’s capacity as a  Focus on  Cesare Beccaria (1764/1819) and Jeremy Bentham (1780/1789) argued that individuals weigh the of all their actions and act when the  Choice Theories  Beccaria: for punishment to be most useful it needed to adhere to three elements:  Laid groundwork for  Offenders act deliberately and in order to maximize their self-interests  Used to explain adult behavior much more often than juvenile behavior in the research. Biological/Psychological/and Biosocial Theories Early Biological Theories  Biological determinism: The view that biology is responsible for criminal behavior  Criminals  Eugenics: the movement to improve the human race through Biological/Psychological/and Biosocial Theories Psychological Theories  Most well-known early psychological theories to be adapted to crime and delinquent behavior was made popular by Freud (1933)  Behavior was based on three elements in an individual’s personality: Biological/Psychological/and Biosocial Theories Modern Biosocial Theories  These theories offer a more nuanced approach to the place of biology, psychology, and environment on juvenile behavior   Diet has an indirect effect on delinquency, through depression, hyperactivity, or cognitive problems   Links toxins, such as lead and manganese  Differential Association Theory  Edwin Sutherland used sociological explanations  Differential association: The learning of behaviors and norms from the groups with which we have contact  Ronald Akers introduced the behavioral concepts of  Learning comes from that evolved from the individual behavior itself.  DA & Gender/Race  Boys more likely to have than girls (Mears et al).   Limited research on  Social Control Theory/Social Bonding Theory  Rooted in early classical theories associated with Beccaria  Individuals need controls in their lives to  “The important question is not ‘why do men not obey the rules of society’, but rather ‘why do men obey the rules of society’ (Traub and Little, 1985, p. 241).”   Classical Social Control Theory: Hirschi  Travis Hirschi’s social bonding theory  Social bonds: Bonds to conformity that keep us  Assumes that delinquent activity is a given and it is the  Social bond is comprised of four parts:  (emotional)  (rational)  (engagement)  (value)  Life Course and Developmental Theories  Life-course theory extends this examination of social bonds from  Individuals are likely to go through stages that  Trajectories can change with  Techniques of Neutralization Model (Sykes & Matza) 1). We acknowledge doing the behavior considered wrong, but we claim that we had no choice—that we had to do it or we were forced to do so 2). We acknowledge doing the wrong action, but we claim that no one was harmed by what we did, so it really shouldn’t be a problem 3). We acknowledge that people were hurt by our actions, but we claim that though we did the action, it was really the victim’s fault—they brought about or otherwise deserved our behavior 4). We abdicate all responsibility for our behavior, and instead we point to the people condemning us. They are the problem, not us. What they have done wrong excuses our behavior 5). We claim that while we violated some social norms, we’re actually adhering to other norms and loyalties, and these higher principles justify our behavior.  General Strain Theory ’ Focuses on what circumstances lead individuals and groups within a society to engage in delinquent behavior ’ Robert Agnew (1992) used General Strain Theory (GST) to explore what may create strain in juvenile’s lives ’ Agnew suggests that they are ’ Failure to General Strain Theory  General Strain Theory and Race ’ Black people in America are more likely to experience a host of strains including economic, community (neighborhood strains), educational (unfair discipline), discrimination, and victimization ’ Much of this strain may be ’ Reaction to unfair strain and coping may be less “conventional”  General Strain Theory & Gender ’ Broidy and Agnew (1997): 1. Boys might be subject to more 2. Strains that boys face may be more 3. Boys and girls have different 4. Explored coping strategies both boys and girls have available to them