Differential Association Theory: Sutherland’s Sociology and Criminology of Deviance Explained

TRANSCRIPT: https://criminologyweb.com/differenti...

In this video, I discuss differential association theory as it was introduced to sociology and criminology by Edwin Sutherland. The perspective is one of the great examples of an influential theory that explains crime and deviance. It is often used to explain youth violence, juvenile delinquency, and gang membership, but also white collar crime. One of its main principles is based on social learning ideas, namely that criminal behavior is learned. The theory’s components are explained in more detail in sociologist and criminologist Edwin Sutherland’s book “Principles of Criminology”.

In this video, I focus on the definition, hypothesis, and meaning of this criminological theory. I also discuss the limitations, strengths, and weaknesses of the differential association perspective and the elements that have caused discussion and criticism.