Social Control Theories PDF

Social Control Theories Chapter 6 DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CRIMINOLOGY  Social Control (Bonding) Theory  Travis Hirschi  Passed away on January 2, 2017  Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Arizona  Stockholm Prize in...

Social Control Theories Chapter 6 DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CRIMINOLOGY  Social Control (Bonding) Theory  Travis Hirschi  Passed away on January 2, 2017  Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Arizona  Stockholm Prize in Criminology (2016)  American Society of Criminology  Edwin H. Sutherland Award (1986)  Fellow & President (1983) LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Social Control (Bonding) Theory  Early Control Theories  ↑Social controls  ↑conformity & ↓deviance  Hirschi (1969)  ↑Social bonds  ↑socially controlled behavior  ↑conformity  ↑Social bonding with parents, teachers, & peers  ↑conformity  ↑Weak/ attenuated or broken social bonds  ↑deviance/ delinquency  4 Components [or Elements]  Attachment  Commitment  Involvement  Belief LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Social Control Theory: 4 Components  Attachment (Hirschi, 1969)  Most important component/ element  Emotional connection/ affectional ties to others  Admire them, identify with them, &/or care about their expectations  Do not have to be present to exert psychological control  Attachment to “conventional* others” (i.e., parents, teachers, peers, & spouse) define how norms are internalized  *Cannot have ↑a achment to “delinquent peers”  Delinquents ≠ “close relationships with” or “attachment to others”  ↑A achment  ↑constrained by social norms  ↑Parental a achment & supervision  ↑Peer a achment – including ↑spousal a achment & supervision  ↓A achments to others  ↑free of moral constraints LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Social Control Theory: 4 Components  Commitment (Hirschi, 1969)  Individual investment in conventionality or “stake in conformity”  Desire to achieve convention goals (e.g., American dream)  Conventional educational & occupational endeavors  ↑Commitment [to conformity]  ↓deviance because…  ↑Risks of nonconformity – jeopardize…  Efforts to date (e.g., money + years of effort required for a college degree)  Other valued aspects of conformity (e.g., income, friends, reputation, etc.)  Rational element of bonding (i.e., human agency)  Benefits of deviance vs. risks of nonconformity LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Social Control Theory: 4 Components  Involvement (Hirschi, 1969)  Level of engrossment in conventional activities  ↑Time involved in prosocial ac vi es  School (e.g., studying, sports, clubs, etc.)  Faith traditions (e.g., education for youth on Sabbath & other activities)  Community (e.g., Boy Scouts, sports, music/ theatre, etc.)  Family activities  ↑Involvement  ↓deviance because…  ↓Time for deviance (e.g., too busy or preoccupied) LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Social Control Theory: 4 Components  Belief (Hirschi, 1969)  What we believe concerning laws & rules [intended to govern behavior] is one reason why we behave as we do  Endorsement of general conventional norms & values  Especially that laws & societal rules are “morally correct” & “should be obeyed”  ↑Deviance occurs when belief in “moral validity” of norms & laws is absent or weakened/ attenuated  Beliefs varies [in degrees] across people & context  Downloading music vs. stealing a laptop  Act of self‐defense vs. premeditated homicide  Beliefs change based on attachments & commitments LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Social Control (Bonding) Theory  Summary (Hirschi, 1969)  1+ bonding elements is weakened or broken  ↑deviance risk  Central role of parental attachment  ↓Parental  ↓a achment (school & peer)  ↓belief  ↑deviance attachment ↓commitment ↓involvement  Reciprocal nature  ↑Deviance  ↓a achment (family, school, & peer)  ↓belief  ↑deviance ↓commitment ↓involvement Social Control (Bonding) Theory  Summary of Empirical Evidence (Hirschi, 1969)  Moderate to low effect of bonding elements on delinquency  Greatest support  Parental attachment  ↓delinquency  Regardless of parental behavior (i.e., convention vs. deviant)  Prosocial peer attachment + involvement  ↓delinquency  Antisocial peers (attachment + involvement)  ↑delinquency