Question

6-10 sentences please and include any references

What would Edwin Hardin Sutherland say about using incarceration as a form of punishment? Based on his theory of differential association, would he be for or against incarceration? Support your position.

Answer 1

• Using Sutherlands theory of differential association, Sutherland correlates social roots and influences within an individual’s everyday life leads them to be susceptible to criminal activity when conforming with society. Sutherland uses these theories to explain the difference between those who break the law and those who don’t.
• Considering when one learns a crime or of a crime, the individual can decide whether the crime would be a favorable or unfavorable crime or,whether to break the law or not. Using Sutherlands theory, one can assume that Sutherland would say that incarceration would discipline more individuals and decrease the influence of criminal activity within contemporary society.
• Sutherland argues that criminal activity is learned from home at the family, peers, or other social ties. Using Sutherlands theory, we can assume he would promote incarceration and the expansion of incarceration in order to prevent the making of criminals from the beginning of their social roots.