Part II
Chapter 8
Part 2: Ch. 8
Differential Association
 Criminal behavior is learned
 Criminal behavior is learned in
interaction with other persons in a
process of communication
 The principal part of the learning of
criminal behavior occurs within intimate
personal groups
Part 2: Ch. 8
Differential Association
 When criminal behavior is learned, the
learned includes
 (a) techniques of committing the crime,
which are sometimes very complicated,
sometimes very simple;
 (b) the specific direction of motive, drives,
rationalizations, and attitudes
Part 2: Ch. 8
Differential Association
 The specific direction of motives and drives
is learned from definitions of the legal codes
as favorable or unfavorable
 A person becomes delinquent because of an
excess of definitions favorable to violation of
law over definitions unfavorable to violation
of law
Part 2: Ch. 8
Differential Association
 Differential associations may vary in
frequency, duration, priority, and intensity
 The process of learning criminal behavior by
association with criminal and anti-criminal
patterns involves all of the mechanisms that
are involved in any other learning
Part 2: Ch. 8
Differential Association
 While criminal behavior is an expression of
general needs and values
 It is not explained by those general needs
and values, since noncriminal behavior is an
expression of the same needs and values.
Part 2: Ch. 8
Part II
Chapter 9
 Refers to an individual’s bonds to others
 Attachment to others part of why we do or
do not care about norm violations
 If one does not care about the expectations
of others, he or she is free to deviate
Part 2: Ch. 9
 Investment of time, energy, self in a certain
pursuit:
 Getting an education, building up a business,
acquiring a reputation
 Risking the loss of such investments by
deviance or crime and facing punishments
(time in prison) seems irrational
 The concept of commitment assumes that the
organization of society is such that most
persons interests would be endangered if
they engaged in crime
Part 2: Ch. 9
 Involvement in conventional activities limits
time, energy and opportunity to engage in
deviant or criminal activity;
 “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop”
 Example: recreational programs and
facilities to reduce juvenile delinquency
Part 2: Ch. 9
 Control theory assumes existence of a
common value system within a society or
group
 Individual belief in set of values is variable:
the greater a person’s acceptance of moral
authority for a set of norms, the less like
they are to violate them
 Control theory differs from cultural
deviance theory in this assumption of
consensus within a society or group over a
set of values
Part 2: Ch. 9
 What kind of deviance and delinquency does
Hirschi focus on and what are some of his
assumptions?
 How does his theory differ from structural
perspective(s) of deviance?
Part 2: Ch. 9