Social Learning Theories

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Social Learning Theories

• General Features
• Children are not born with a tendency to want to
  do bad
• Delinquency is a function of learning the norms,
  values and behaviors associated with delinquency
• Without opportunities to learn the values and
  techniques associated with delinquency,
  individuals would not become delinquent

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General Assumptions cont.

• Begin with the assumption that anyone is capable
  of committing a crime.
• Argue that delinquency can be explained by the
  nature of socialization experiences of
  individuals
• Hence, they tend to focus on the immediate social
  milieu of the individual--e.g., family, peer
  group, etc.
• As such they focus on the process of becoming
  deviant.

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Differential Association

• 1. Criminal behavior is learned. We are not born
  criminal, it is not inherited. We learn criminal
  behavior from the environment that surrounds us.
• 2. The interaction we have with others teaches
  deviant behavior. We can learn to become criminal
  by the actions, gestures, words, practices, and
  teachings of others.   
• 3.  According to differential association,
  learned deviancy comes from those immediately
  within our environment. Media television,
  movies, newspapers actually play a small role in
  teaching us deviant behavior. 

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• 4. We learn how to commit a crime, why we do it,
  the ability to rationalize our deviancy, and our
  attitudes about it.
• 5. We learn from those around us to define the
  laws or norms regarding deviant behavior as more
  favorable to our benefit to break the law, then
  it is to obey it.
• 6. When a person is within an environment whos
  norm is repetitive breaking of the laws, then
  that person is more likely to learn that breaking
  the law is a normal behavior. Conversely, when a
  person is surrounded by an environment where
  breaking the law is not an option, then that
  person will most likely adhere to those
  standards. Neutral behavior, dinner time norms,
  brushing teeth, getting dressed, riding a bus,
  feeding the dog, etc. does not normally have any
  positive or negative effect on creating deviancy.
  

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• 7. A persons involvement with deviancy or
  following the norms, includes frequency,
  duration, priority, and intensity. Priority means
  that if a behavior is learned from early on,
  chances are that this type of behavior will
  remain high on the persons optional lifestyle
  choices throughout their life. Intensity refers
  to the association of prestige that a person has
  with being deviant or conforming to the norms.
  However, since these associations are subjective
  to the individual, they cannot be measured
  through statistical means and are therefore
  theoretical.
• 8. Learning criminal or deviant behavior is not
  simply a matter of imitation, but is no different
  than any other learning. I.e. learning to tie
  your shoe doesnt involve simple imitation, but
  has the need to learn how to do it. The same with
  deviant behavior.

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• 9. Other theories explain deviancy as reacting to
  the powers that be, striving for status,
  fulfilling a need, etc. But if that were true,
  according to differential association theory,
  then why is it that those who dont break the law
  have the same motivations for conforming as those
  who dont.
• In sum, learning deviancy is dependent upon the
  environment, the frequency of exposure to deviant
  behavior, the situations of that exposure, and
  the reinforcements of deviant behavior.

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Differential Reinforcement

•         Learning involves the application of
  rewards and punishments.
•         We tend to associate with groups or
  individuals who reward our behavior.
•         Individuals engage in behavior, receive
  rewards and then repeat behavior.
•         We learn to define those behaviors which
  are rewarded as positive.

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Drift and Neutralization Theory

• The Drift Hypothesis
• Delinquents do not strictly adhere to delinquent
  cultural values, but are affected by both
  criminal and conventional values
• Hence, delinquents find themselves in drift
  between the two sets of values
• Subculture of delinquency provides the delinquent
  with a vocabulary to neutralize the demands of
  conventional society

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Howard Becker "Becoming a Marijuana Smoker"

•   Learninggt Socializationgt Subculturegt
  Identity
•   Learn the technique of using the drug
•   Learn to identify the effect of the drug
•   Learn to identify the effect as pleasurable
•   Learn to "handle" the drug
•   Learn to acquire the drug
• Learn to neutralize the impact of social control