Edwin Sutherland

Edwin Sutherland is a Théoricien behavior Criminel.

Delinquency like product of a cultural transmission

the theory of differential associations of Edwin. Sutherland

Edwin Sutherland formulated a general theory of the criminal behavior in term of cultural transmission. It will publish its thesis in a book, published in 1947, under the name “ Principes of criminology ”. One learns then, according to him, that the criminal behavior is learned in contact with other individuals by a process of communication, mainly in small groups. This training comprises 2 phases:

a Technical training of the S: who are necessary to make the Infraction.

a training of the orientation of the mobiles, Impulse S, Rationalization S and attitudes: necessary to allow the infringement. They are what is called classically the good reasons to commit the offense.

The last training is especially resulting from the principle of differential association. It is about process of interpretation favorable or not which the individual of the legal tendencies makes. If interpretations are favorable to the transgression of the Loi, the individual will thus become a Délinquant. Sutherland insists, however, that he does not speak about associations between criminals and associations between noncriminals. They are associations between interpretations favorable to the unfavourable transgression and associations. It thus goes that various forms of criminal behaviors can be unfavourable for a delinquent: it is about there of a Voleur which is against the Meurtre. The reverse is also possible at people conformists and sizeable who are favorable adopts pro-punishable attitudes: such as for example a Tax evasion. The principle of differential association is influenced by various factors:

the frequency: the more one individual is exposed to the criminal model, the more the risk increases to become a criminal

duration: the longer the contacts with the criminal models are and the more the risk increases to adopt them for its own behavior.

anteriority: she exerts a decisive influence in the sense that in general, the behavior conformist or criminal developed in childhood can persist all the life. The child can be thus educated like delinquent with the center even of his family of origin during his childhood.

intensity: it is what refers to the prestige of the or not criminal criminal model.

Thus

1- If it brings back a gratification to the behavior, whether it is legitimate or criminal, it will be repeated. 2- The criminal behavior east learned the suitable behavior just like. 3- The training of conformity or criminality is carried out according to the group of reference. 4- The criminal must learn how to be a good criminal as a citizen learns how to be a good citizen. 5- An individual becomes criminal because it is in the presence of criminals, that it does not have different models or that those do not seem also attractive.

Sutherland insists finally that the values and needs are the same ones for the delinquent and the conformist. It is the total culture which is heterogeneous and which comprises contradictory definitions of the same behavior, of which one is endorsed by the legislator. The rates and the frequency of each type of criminal behavior thus depend on the way in which the social organization stimulates or inhibits association with the criminal models or the noncriminal models.

In the theory of Sutherland, one can however approach 2 criticisms: it retracts the problems of personality (it thus misses a psychological analysis of the delinquent) and it forgets the problems involved in the social structure (why there exists a delinquent culture has to transmit)

Practical applications of the theory of Sutherland

For a practical application of Sutherland, it would be interesting to analyze the principle of differential association through the phenomenon of urban violences. As seen in the first part, the frequency allows has an individual to be exposed in a criminal medium, which increases the risk to become criminal. With through various statistics carried out in France, one noticed that the phenomena of delinquencies mainly touch the districts or cities which are the suburbs of the big cities. Thus one can quote Sarcelles for the surroundings of Paris, or the district of Alma with Roubaix. It is not thus astonishing to see that urban violences took place in these districts. Let us note in the passing, that the subway station Euroteleport was closed during a time in Roubaix, this station is located between 2 disadvantaged districts of Roubaix which are: Alma and 3 bridges. The 2nd factor which is the duration, partly joined the 1st factor shown in the analysis of urban violences. It is moreover difficult for a young person resulting from districts sensitive to leave this habitat and thus to know another place. The tension being thus in these districts is thus more easily ready “to explode”. It is what one can check through the phenomenon of urban violences, where certain districts underwent serious material consequences whereas a calmer nearby district, will have had only some tiny damage.

The 3rd factor proposes anteriority. This point seems to be a common point between the various authors of the culturalism. Indeed, the taking into account of passed from the delinquent is a crucial factor when with the release of acts of delinquencies or not. An individual conformist is much ready to carry out urban infringements; while a delinquent individual has the techniques but also of the reasons necessary to make acts of violence.

Sutherland insisted that the needs and the values of the individuals are the same ones for all. Only the methods are thus different. That it is of course checked through urban violences. It would be false to say that no group of individuals tried to use another method that violence to obtain a win of their claims. Thus, of many groups of inhabitants of the districts of suburbs met to create a kind of group of mediation near the differentials delinquent individuals. The required need was the same one in this kind of behavior, but their method quite simply differed from the delinquent behavior.

Lastly, it is necessary to add a small analysis on the concept of interpretation favorable or not of the acts undertaken. Thus, if one leaves on the assumption that this phenomenon of violence urban was a true crisis, which in particular started the implementation of the state of emergency, it is thus comprehensible that individuals exposed to the daily newspaper with the factors of the principles of differential associations, could give an interpretation favorable to the passage to the act of violence urban.

Random links: