Page 8 - Flipbook: Sociology Shortcuts Issue 5: Situational Action Theory
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This isn’t to say socially Similarly, one of the classic DISADVANTAGE
disadvantaged teens inevitably distinctions between middle and
become offenders because it’s working class behaviours is that
perfectly possible to form non- of immediate and deffered
criminal relationships with similar- gratification, the former being a
minded peers. Compared to their characteristic of the socially
socially advantaged peers, however, disadvantaged. Mischel’s
there’s a much greater probability (1972) Marshmallow Test, for
that at least some peer relationships example, not only demonstrated this
will involve criminal offending. distinction but also showed
how differences in self-
This means that compared to their
advantaged peers socially control revealed by the test
disadvantaged youth have a translated in later life into things like
much higher probability of being different academic and social
drawn into persistent offending. And competences, plus greater or lesser
while probabilistic analyses of crime resistance to frustration and
aren’t necessarily causal we need to temptation.
keep in mind that when explaining Social disadvantage, in this respect,
criminal involvement it’s not strongly correlates with lower self-
something we should simply ignore. control.
Again, this is indicative not
conclusive.
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