People learn things from other people, especially if a person starts to learn bad behavior when they were very young. Some people grow up with bad influences or within a bad environment around them, and these could turn the people into criminals or killers if they see that bad behavior is acceptable or has no consequences. This was the case with the main character in the movie Monster and two sociological theories, both have rational choice theory and differential association theory, strengths and weaknesses in how they explain the main character in the movie. The movie Monster (2003) is about a female serial killer named Aileen Wuornos, who is a prostitute, a hitchhiker and has hopes of being famous, a big star, rich and more valuable
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The degree of influence one receives from messages favoring deviant behavior varies by intensity, priority, frequency, and duration proposing that through interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behavior” (enotes 2015). This theory focuses on how individuals learn to become criminals, but it does not concern itself with why they become criminals. The theory predicts that “an individual will choose the criminal path when the balance of definitions for law-breaking exceeds those for law-abiding. This will be reinforced if social association provides active people in the person 's life. The earlier in life an individual comes under the influence high status people within a group, the more likely the individual is to follow in their footsteps. This does not deny that there may be practical motives for crime. To some extent, both non-criminal and criminal individuals are motivated by the need for money and social gain” (Boundless 2015). In differential association theory the association of other leads to crime. Aileen met with Selby and made her change her persona when Aileen was prostituting herself she would get money in exchange for sex but she would use that to make her life better and of Selby 's. When she was raped by one of her grandfather 's friend at a …show more content…
Also individuals learn deviant behavior by other people. They learn it and pick it up like a child does when a toddler learns how to ride a bike, walk or talk especially on the person who teaches these things to the toddler like a parent or a sibling. Aileen was not motivated by anything when she killed except that she hitchhiked to make money. These two theories explained Aileen Wuornos behavior in a way. The only that the theories did not explain was why Aileen killed her clients when she thought they were doing something to her despite not associating with anyone that has a criminal background. Based on a true story Aileen dropped out of school because she became pregnant at 14 and did not associate with anyone that was a positive influence. She came from a broken home. After her grandmother died, her grandfather kicked her out of his house and she supported herself by being a prostitute and living in the
The degree of influence one receives from messages favoring deviant behavior varies by intensity, priority, frequency, and duration proposing that through interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques, and motives for criminal behavior” (enotes 2015). This theory focuses on how individuals learn to become criminals, but it does not concern itself with why they become criminals. The theory predicts that “an individual will choose the criminal path when the balance of definitions for law-breaking exceeds those for law-abiding. This will be reinforced if social association provides active people in the person 's life. The earlier in life an individual comes under the influence high status people within a group, the more likely the individual is to follow in their footsteps. This does not deny that there may be practical motives for crime. To some extent, both non-criminal and criminal individuals are motivated by the need for money and social gain” (Boundless 2015). In differential association theory the association of other leads to crime. Aileen met with Selby and made her change her persona when Aileen was prostituting herself she would get money in exchange for sex but she would use that to make her life better and of Selby 's. When she was raped by one of her grandfather 's friend at a …show more content…
Also individuals learn deviant behavior by other people. They learn it and pick it up like a child does when a toddler learns how to ride a bike, walk or talk especially on the person who teaches these things to the toddler like a parent or a sibling. Aileen was not motivated by anything when she killed except that she hitchhiked to make money. These two theories explained Aileen Wuornos behavior in a way. The only that the theories did not explain was why Aileen killed her clients when she thought they were doing something to her despite not associating with anyone that has a criminal background. Based on a true story Aileen dropped out of school because she became pregnant at 14 and did not associate with anyone that was a positive influence. She came from a broken home. After her grandmother died, her grandfather kicked her out of his house and she supported herself by being a prostitute and living in the