The Differential Theory Of Bonnie And Clyde's Social Learning Theory

ven though Bandura had already created the social learning theory, Edwin Sutherland’s differential association is the core learning theory when understanding social learning theory. Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory states that criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication that takes place primarily in intimate personal groups that include crime motives, rationalizations, and attitudes (d.umn). Differential association may also vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity as a person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law (d.umn). Sutherland’s differential association describes …show more content…
Bonnie and Clyde grew up during the Great Depression, and during that time it was hard for the average man or woman to earn a good living. In relation to the social learning theory, Bonnie and Clyde knew that they could not gain wealth and success by legal means, therefore Bonnie and Clyde committed criminal acts to gain the wealth and success they desired. When committing crimes people begin to experience strain, to describe crime committed by certain social conditions that people …show more content…
In order to achieve goals of legitimate means, goals, values, and beliefs shape the way in which people engage with society. However, with lack of resources to be able to live, strain occurs in forms of deviant behavior. Robert Merton expanded off of Emilie Durkheim theory of Anomie. Anomie referred to a situation in which cultural norms break down because of rapid change (d.umn). In result to Durkheim’s Anomie theory, Robert Merton formulates a new concept of anomie. Merton chapges the concept of anomie slightly, to refer to a situation in which there is an apparent lack of fit between the cultures norms about what constitutes success in life and the culture’s norms about the appropriate ways to achieve those goals (d.umn). Merton’s theory of anomie was used to explain why higher rates of crime was happening in societies depending on things such as economic status, between people of societies. For example, this explained why Bonnie and Clyde turned to crime together. Bonnie and Clyde had hopes and dreams to have nice cars, clothes, home, and a family and in order to do so robbing banks, stealing cars, and robbing convenient stores was the only way they were able to gain economic success. In was clear that people of lower incomes had limited resources, there for resulted more to crime. Merton’s analysis of anomie in societies, is a result