Criminological Theory
Executive Summary IV: Differential Association and Social Learning Theories of Crime
Instructions:
Drawing on readings from the Differential Association/Social Learning section of the course, students are to submit a critical summary of this paradigm. Students are firmly expected to incorporate all of the assigned readings into their summaries, as they were included as a required reading because they are viewed as crucial readings within these paradigms. As outlined in the course syllabus, each critical summary is expected to accomplish a number of objectives, and as such, will not have a specific page requirement.
In particular, each summary should address the following dimensions:
Historical Background:
Here, students should provide an articulation of the social/historical factors that led to the emergence of the paradigm. What is the intellectual history that helped generate this theory/paradigm?
Central Assumptions:
What are the key assumptions of each theory or perspective? In other words, what are the central assumptions with regard to human nature, society and social order, the definition/nature of crime, the image of the criminal, and criminality — i.e., what causes crime?
Core Concepts and Propositions:
What are the central propositions/statements (or assumptions) associated with each perspective. Here, most theories articulate a series of statements or propositions as to what causes criminal behavior. Moreover, be able to identify the key historical figures that articulated these assumptions or statements.
Policy Implications:
Arguably, this is the most important component of theory or paradigm. Each theory has a series of policy ramifications that should be put into practice, if the theory is valid. If the causal logic is in fact valid, what can we do to contain, control, and predict Criminal.
