Homework: Social Control Theory
Social control theory, when applied to the study of criminal behavior, examines the social rules and contracts that influence individual behavior. Social control may be both informal and formal. Informal controls are interwoven with social values, community expectations, and the unwritten social contracts by which communities abide. Alternately, formal social control describes the social laws, rules, and punishments that address behavior that is considered antisocial or criminal.
Social control is effective in preventing criminal behavior when individuals feel connected to a community, a family, or another social entity to which they also feel accountable. On the other hand, it tends not to be effective when individuals feel disconnected from family and community. In fact, the theory contends that criminal behavior flourishes when these links to conventional community standards are broken or missing.
To prepare for this Homework:
A. Review the article, "Sources of Informal Social Control in Chicago Neighborhoods," paying attention to various sources of informal social control. Also consider why methods of social control may develop in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
B. Search the Internet and select a peer-reviewed article that addresses issues of social control.
Task (1 to 2 pages):
A. Analyze the degree to which social control theory explains engagement in criminal behavior.
B. Analyze the degree to which social control theory explains the prevention of criminal behavior.
C. Based on your analysis, explain how useful control theory might be for understanding and explaining the nature of criminal behavior.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
• The answer must be using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, and typed, with one-inch margins on all sides.
• The response also includes a cover page containing the student's name, the title of the homework, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
• Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.