Sociology - Hirschi & Delinquency Term Paper

In those cases, "deviance" from socially accepted values would be considered a positive response rather than "delinquency" in an objective sense.

Alternate ideas, such as differential association formulated by Sutherland (Pfohl

1994), in particular, demonstrate that even in contemporary American society, social values are extremely subjective and that specific populations - most notably, incarcerated prisoners - form their own societal norms and shared values that contradict those of larger society and that those mores are as powerful and likely to shape future behavior among adolescents exposed to them for long periods (Scmalleger 1997).

Similarly, modern criminologists (Pinizzotto, et al. 2007) detail the extent to which violent criminal street gangs fulfill the same role as families of origin in many

American communities. Furthermore, many Baby Boomers of the so-called hippie generation also would seem to contradict Hirschi's theory in that, especially when viewed retrospectively, behavior that was considered "deviant" or "delinquent" at the time was motivated by specific independent moral beliefs that simply contradicted those of their culture. Likewise, the applicability of Hirschi's theory is further contradicted by contemporary examples on both ends of the behavioral spectrum. Specifically, children seemingly blessed with all the advantages postulated by Hirschi often exhibit delinquent tendencies despite strong previous social ties and community involvement. Conversely, children deprived of all the positive elements described by Hirschi as corresponding to socially desirable behavior often strive even harder to achieve positive goals to overcome their initial disadvantages (Kerik, 2002). Finally, Hirschi also fails to account for the contribution of genetic predisposition and other purely biological influences on human behavior, or to address deviance when it occurs within a single family in which some children who are exposed to the same social benefits and opportunities as their siblings become delinquent while the others do not.

References

Gerrig, R.J., Zimbardo, R.G. (2005)

Psychology and Life 18th Ed.

New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Henslin, J.M. (2002) Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Kerik, B.B. (2002) the Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice. New York: Harper Collins Macionis, J.J. (2003) Sociology 9th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Pfohl, S. (1994). Images of Deviance and Social Control. New York: McGraw-Hill

Pinizzotto, a.J., Davis, E.F., Miller, C.E. (2007) Street-Gang Mentality: A Mosaic of Remorseless Violence and Relentless Loyalty. Retrieved February 5, 2008, from USDOJ-FBI website, at: http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2007/sept2007/september2007.htm#page1

Schmalleger, F. (1997) Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st…