Do People Use Techniques Of Neutralization Justified?

Have you ever done something that went against your values, harmed someone, or did something that just was wrong? Did you think you were still a moral person after your actions? Most people will probably answer yes to both of the questions. When an individual breaks society’s moral codes they can still think of their selves as moral members of society by a theory called techniques of neutralization. When one breaks the moral code, techniques of neutralization provide rationales to justify why people violate society’s norms. If individuals took responsibility for their actions, techniques of neutralization wouldn’t exist. When society has different beliefs of how one should act, they are called norms. People internalize the norms our society possess and …show more content…
So if people were to take responsibility for their wrong doings they would not be able to say, “It was not my fault, it was not a big deal, they had it coming, don’t act like you have not ever did something wrong, or they were counting on me”, therefore the techniques would not exist. In Barnes Investigation about the neutralization techniques he states “people use justifying techniques before or after the deviant act to protect them from guilt associated with self-blame and the blame of others in the social environment. Rationalizing away the social restraints that control deviant motivations neutralizes the guilt. Therefore, individuals engage in the deviant or morally lurid behavior without severe damage to their self-image (Barnes).” Techniques of neutralization are a theoretical series of methods by which those who commit unlawful acts briefly neutralize their actions. They violate certain values and morals and use reason to why they carried out such acts. It is a method for people when they do, or are about to do something they themselves and others perceive as