Edwin Sutherlands theory of differential association

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine Edwin Sutherland's theory of differential association. Following a brief history of Sutherland's ideas is a summary of the main ideas and premises of his differential association theory. Also included is a review of studies which attempt to test the validity of Sutherland's theory.

Theoretical Criminology attempts to explain theories of why and how crime occurs by examining the various facts related to criminal behavior and crime. These theories offer the sociological, psychological, and psychiatric views of the causes of crime and other forms of deviant behavior. Among these is a group of theories referred to as learning theories, which focus on the ideas and behaviors that can be learned, the processes by which that learning occurs, and the structure of support and encouragement for law violation. Perhaps the strongest and most prominent of these theories is Edwin Sutherland's Differential Association theory. As a sociological interactionist, Sutherland's viewpoint on the etiology of crime was that there existed certain processes or relationships that could explain a

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Approximate Word count = 4408
Approximate Pages = 18 (250 words per page double spaced)