NCJ Number
115023
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1988) Pages: 277-306
Date Published
1988
Length
29 pages
Annotation
With his theory of differential association, Sutherland attempted to identify universal mechanisms that explain the genesis of crime regardless of the specific concrete structural, social, and individual conditions involved.
Abstract
In this article, I discussed the development of the theory and then assess its strengths and weaknesses. After finding Kornhauser's (1978) influential critique of differential association theory to be oversimplified and misguided, I review recent empirical tests. I argue that the theory appears supported, but requires additional research to specify the concrete content of its abstract principles. Such respecification will improve the theory's predictions, empirical tests, and implications for public policy. I conclude by proposing several avenues for theoretical and empirical research. (Author abstract)