Verified Document

Social Control Theory Today's World Term Paper

But what is not clear is the causality. Do criminals seek out safe regions to commit their crimes, or are certain areas inherently destined to house criminal activity? Social control needs individuals acting on their own free will in order to complete the circle of logic in this argument. Both sides are needed to make a coherent and rational understanding of the subject. Social control theory is useful in explaining criminal theory only up to the point that free will of the individual is absent. The ability that one has to act on his or her own accord is inversely proportional to the amount of control that society has on that individual. This trade off or relationship is the basis on which social control theory can be accepted as causing criminal behavior. For some individuals that have limited imagination and free will, society definitely has the ability to override that person's cognitive ability...

For others, more confident in their ability to make sane and rationale decisions, criminal or not, society does not influence as much. Rather, society is influenced by these individual's behavior causing a feedback loop that never ends. Criminal behavior must be understood in this bipolar way for social control theory to have any impact or relevance in this discussion.
References

Kubrin, C. (nd). Criminal Behavior. Video.

Silver, E. & Miller, L.L. (2004). Sources of informal social control in Chicago neighborhoods. Criminology, 42(3), 551 -- 583. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdlink?did=707219431&Fmt=7&client Id=70192&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Walklate, S. (2003). Perspectives in criminological theory. In Understanding criminology (2nd ed. pp. 15 -- 37). Berkshire, England: Open University Press.

Sources used in this document:
References

Kubrin, C. (nd). Criminal Behavior. Video.

Silver, E. & Miller, L.L. (2004). Sources of informal social control in Chicago neighborhoods. Criminology, 42(3), 551 -- 583. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqdlink?did=707219431&Fmt=7&client Id=70192&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Walklate, S. (2003). Perspectives in criminological theory. In Understanding criminology (2nd ed. pp. 15 -- 37). Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Social-Conflict and Good Will Hunting Social-Conflict Theory
Words: 1221 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

Social-Conflict and Good Will Hunting Social-Conflict theory espouses the belief that that conflict is a basic aspect of life and can never be fully resolved. According to this approach formal agencies of social control merely coerce the disenfranchised to comply with the rules established by those in power. This paper will examine this perspective in light of the 1997 movie Good Will Hunting, written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and

Social Identity Theory Relating to Juvenile Delinquency
Words: 1144 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Juvenile Delinquency Theory Social identity theory Postmodernist criminology theory Underlying assumptions Postmodernism is a relatively unique theory of criminology: rather than simply trying to understand why people commit crimes and explain such behavior, it questions the notion of what constitutes 'crime' altogether. The underlying assumption of postmodernism is that crime is a culturally constructed concept. [One sentence thesis] For example, in the 1950s, being gay was considered criminal -- today being gay is socially

Social Problem Discrimination Over Sexual Orientation in the U.S....
Words: 3889 Length: 12 Document Type: Research Paper

Sexual Orientation Discrimination Discrimination can be carried out in the work place through many different ways. Federal and state laws go on to prohibit employers from carrying out unfair practices like hiring or terminating on the basis of religion, race, sex, national origin, physical disability or origin. All these are factors about a person that can be used either in his favor or against him. Some states have also declared employment

Social Pressure Conformity and the Physical Body
Words: 1828 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Society Deforms Our Psychical Self Social expectations place stress on the human mind and body as the issue of conformity can become a struggle for some. Various theories, such as Strain Theory and Social Learning Theory, acknowledge that society has an impact on behavior (Akers, Jennings), but artists through their work can show how societal expectations can also have an impact on the psychical self. Values, constraints, norms and conventions

Who's Controlling Our Emotions Emotional Literacy As a Mechanism...
Words: 8437 Length: 28 Document Type: Research Paper

CONTROLLING OUR EMOTIONS? EMOTIONAL LITERACY: MECHANISM FOR SOCIAL CONTROL? At the core of becoming an activist educator Is identifying the regimes of truth that govern us the ideas that govern how we think, act and feel as educators because it is within regimes of truth that inequity is produced and reproduced. (MacNaughton 2005, 20) Disorder, addictions, vulnerability and dysfunction...." Disorder, addictions, vulnerability and dysfunction...." These terns, according to Nolan (1998; Furedi 2003; cited by Ecclestone

The Impact of Social Learning Theory
Words: 5230 Length: 17 Document Type: Research Paper

Theoretical Analysis: Julian Rotter Social Learning Theory Including Locust ControlBackground: Historical OverviewJulian Rotter was born in 1916 in Brooklyn, New York as the third son of Jewish immigrant parents (Walker, 1991). Rotter�s father had a successful business that was negatively impacted by the great depression. It was due to the great depression that Rotter became aware of social injustice and the impact of the situation environment on individuals. Rotter�s interest

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now