Cultural Transmission Theory In Criminology

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Theory
There are many factors that contribute to the issues of crime and deviance. Many of these may include; social conflict, social change, and lack of social consensus. These factors represent the theory of Social Disorganization introduced by the Chicago School sociologists Robert Park and Ernest Burgess. According to the book Criminology Today, “Cultural transmission theory is the idea that delinquency is transmitted through successive generations of people living in an area through the same process of social communication as languages, roles, and attitudes are transmitted.” It is stated on Valdosta University’s website that the younger the person who is learning deviant behaviors from the deviant person the greater the probabilities of becoming a deviant person. It is also stated that this theory focuses on three variables. First, the age of the “learner”, this variable is very important because the younger the more chances of acquiring good or bad behavior. Second, is the frequency in which the person has contact with the other person from whom he is learning the behavior. Last, is the ratio of good to bad social contacts in the learners life (Yuliya Voznyuk 2012).

Development of Theory …show more content…

They viewed cities as having five zones with 5 included the suburbs and were known as the “commuter zone”. Zone one was were the businesses were and manufactures. Zone three was were they believed criminal activity had its highest rates because it was were neighborhoods suffered from great disturbance, low property value, poverty, and lack of privacy. This is why the idea of cultural transmission was introduced. Shaw and McKay believed that living in the same neighborhoods were gang members, thieves, and people who lacked ethics, this lead people who socialized with them to most likely acquire their

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