Paper Topic:

Delinquency Theories

Deviant behavior is behavior that is a recognized violation of social norms . Formal and informal social controls attempt to prevent and minimize deviance . One such control is through the medicalization of deviance

Acting upon certain discriminatory facts or problems . It is not the act itself , but the reactions to the act , that make something deviant

Crime , the violation of formally enacted law , is formal deviance while an informal social violation such as picking one 's nose is an example of informal deviance . It also means not doing what the majority does or

br alternatively doing what the majority does not do . For instance behaviors caused by cultural difference can be seen as deviance . It does not necessarily mean criminal behavior

An example of a group considered deviant in the modern United States is the Ku Klux Klan . Milder examples include punks and goths

I have chosen two sociological theories namely differential association and conflict theory . On the other hand I also chose psychoanalytic theory and learning theory under psychological theories

Sociological Theories

1 . Differential association

Also known as Social Learning Theory , it explains deviance as a learned behavior . The most important variables in this theory are the age of the learner of deviance , the quality of contact between the learner and the deviant role model , and the relationship between the learner and the deviant model . It does a great job of explaining how children grow up to become law-breakers or juvenile offenders , but it suffers from a paradox . If all deviance is learned from a teacher , and the teacher learned from their teacher , how did the first teachers learn to be deviant

In criminology , Differential Association is a theory developed by Edwin Sutherland proposing that through interaction with others , individuals learn the values , attitudes , techniques , and motives for criminal behavior

The Differential Association Theory is the most talked about of the Interactionist theory of deviance . This theory focuses on how individuals learn how to become criminals , but does not concern itself with why they become criminals . They learn how to commit criminal acts they learn motives , drives , rationalizations , and attitudes . It grows socially easier for the individuals to commit a crime . Their inspiration is the processes of cultural transmission and construction . Sutherland had developed the idea of the "self " as a social construct , like when a person 's self-image is continuously being reconstructed especially when interacting with other people

This theory stated that an individual commits deviant acts because of his motives , interests , drives and even attitudes . Now let me apply this theory to the three deviant acts

1 . Breaking and entering a home is an example of this . The individual will do such act if there is motive , for example getting valuable things in to get his goal . His goal is maybe revenge or just plain theft .2 . Another deviant behavior is carjacking , if the individual 's goal is to use that particular act in unlawful acts . An individual will do such act for self satisfaction

3 . If an...

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