© Ane Venter
Study Unit 7
Social Process Perspectives
1|Page
, © Ane Venter
Best known for his study of:
- White collar crime
Sutherland’s - Life-history analysis of a professional thief.
- Development of the theory of differential
Differential Association Theory association.
○ Critical of biological and psychiatric theories.
- Also dissatisfied with the eclectic and unorganised nature of sociological explanations of the time.
Took multi-factor approach to crime causation.
○ Notion of Culture Conflict – central theme in differential association theory.
○ Thorsten Sellin:
- Argued crime is an outcome of a clash between cultures.
Homogeneous society – “conduct norms” that are codified into law represent consensus of
society members.
Heterogeneous society with many diverse subcultures – law represents conduct norms of the
dominant culture only.
→ Members of subcultures violate the law when they follow groups’ indigenous conduct norms.
- From theory – Sutherland derived concepts of:
Differential social organisation.
Differential group organisation.
○ Sutherland’s 9 Propositions: *Important for test*
1. Criminal behaviour is learned.
2. Criminal behaviour is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication.
3. Principle part of learning of criminal behaviour occurs within intimate personal groups.
4. When criminal behaviour is learned – learning includes:
Techniques of committing the crime (sometimes simple and sometimes complicated).
Specific direction of motives, drives, rationalisations, and attitudes.
5. Specific direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of legal codes as favourable or
unfavourable.
6. Person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favourable to violation of law over
definitions unfavourable to violation of law.
7. Differential association may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity.
8. Process of learning criminal behaviour by association with anti-criminal patterns – incorporates all
mechanisms that are involved in any other learning.
9. Although criminal behaviour is an expression of general needs and values – it is not explained by
those general needs and values since non-criminal behaviour is an expression of the same needs
and values.
○ Sutherland makes it clear that criminality is not inherited.
- Learned in the same way that any other behaviour is learned:
Through interpersonal communication.
Through social interaction in intimate groups – called primary groups.
- What is learned through this process includes:
Particular attitudes and motivations.
Techniques for committing crime.
2|Page
Study Unit 7
Social Process Perspectives
1|Page
, © Ane Venter
Best known for his study of:
- White collar crime
Sutherland’s - Life-history analysis of a professional thief.
- Development of the theory of differential
Differential Association Theory association.
○ Critical of biological and psychiatric theories.
- Also dissatisfied with the eclectic and unorganised nature of sociological explanations of the time.
Took multi-factor approach to crime causation.
○ Notion of Culture Conflict – central theme in differential association theory.
○ Thorsten Sellin:
- Argued crime is an outcome of a clash between cultures.
Homogeneous society – “conduct norms” that are codified into law represent consensus of
society members.
Heterogeneous society with many diverse subcultures – law represents conduct norms of the
dominant culture only.
→ Members of subcultures violate the law when they follow groups’ indigenous conduct norms.
- From theory – Sutherland derived concepts of:
Differential social organisation.
Differential group organisation.
○ Sutherland’s 9 Propositions: *Important for test*
1. Criminal behaviour is learned.
2. Criminal behaviour is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication.
3. Principle part of learning of criminal behaviour occurs within intimate personal groups.
4. When criminal behaviour is learned – learning includes:
Techniques of committing the crime (sometimes simple and sometimes complicated).
Specific direction of motives, drives, rationalisations, and attitudes.
5. Specific direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of legal codes as favourable or
unfavourable.
6. Person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favourable to violation of law over
definitions unfavourable to violation of law.
7. Differential association may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity.
8. Process of learning criminal behaviour by association with anti-criminal patterns – incorporates all
mechanisms that are involved in any other learning.
9. Although criminal behaviour is an expression of general needs and values – it is not explained by
those general needs and values since non-criminal behaviour is an expression of the same needs
and values.
○ Sutherland makes it clear that criminality is not inherited.
- Learned in the same way that any other behaviour is learned:
Through interpersonal communication.
Through social interaction in intimate groups – called primary groups.
- What is learned through this process includes:
Particular attitudes and motivations.
Techniques for committing crime.
2|Page
