Page 9 - Flipbook: Sociology Shortcuts Issue 5: Situational Action Theory

Cyndi Yoder EXPERIENCES

Self-control is, for example, On the contrary, they are
something that can be learnt. influenced by primary sources like
Young children who seemingly lack parents and peers as well as
self-control don’t necessarily grow- secondary sources such as social
up to be teens and adults who media. In addition, our personal
have little or no self-control. It’s experiences in-and-of the social
also important to note how self- world influence how our personal
control is in many important morality develops. This, in turn,
respects context-dependent: for suggests that advantageous and
lower levels of self-control to result disadvantageous social
in a greater willingness to give-in experiences play a major part
to the “temptations of crime” the in shaping how we see and think
individual has to necessarily find about the world.
themselves in a criminogenic In basic terms, therefore, someone
situation / context.
who sees certain types of
By avoiding criminogenic offending as part of the normal
exposure, for example, the run-of-the-mill experience of social
individual will not have to exercise life is more-likely to involve
self-control. themselves in this world than
someone who doesn’t have this
Finally, while concepts of personal
morality are just that – particular to view or experience.
each individual – concepts of right Although it is, of course, possible
and wrong don’t simply develop in that the former may be as repelled
a social vacuum. by that world as seduced by it, the
balance of probability suggests the
latter is the more-likely outcome.

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