Monster : A Theoretical Paper

High crime rates are an ongoing issue through the United States, however the motivation and the cause of crime has yet to be entirely identified. Ronald Akers would say that criminality is a behavior that is learned based on what an individual sees and observes others doing. When an individual commits a crime, he or she is acting on impulse based on actions that they have seen others engage in. Initially during childhood, individuals learn actions and behavior by watching and listening to others, and out of impulse they mimic the behavior that is observed. Theorist Ronald Akers extended Sutherland’s differential association theory with a modern viewpoint known as the social learning theory. The social learning theory states that

The documentary Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008) focuses on conditions and causes of gang violence in Los Angeles, California, as well as the history and background of the main gangs that reside there. The information in the film is compiled from interviews of past and present members of the Crips and Bloods, which are the two main gangs that contribute to the violence in the area. The interviewees explain how the gangs work and the conditions under which these people live daily. There can be parallels drawn from the film to Elijah Anderson’s article titled “The Code of the Streets”, published in 1994, that discusses violence in terms of gang and criminal activity.

“Monster”, a 1999 novel by Walter Dean Myers, is an incredible story told through the fictional movie script of a boy on trial for murder and robbery. It’s an intriguing read that triggers deep thought and empowers the hearts within all. A book notable for its messages against implicit bias, encouraging the notion of truth within yourself, you can speculate on its events from start to finish and beyond. But it’s worth pondering of its connection to real life. Does “Monster” truly reflect the criminal justice system of our country’s society today? Read on to discover the shocking answer.

Sutherland’s theory piggyback on Social Disorganization theory by answering some of the critic’s questions about why only some people in crime-prone neighbors commit crime while many others do not. While Aker’s theory pick up where Sutherland

Monster by Sanyika Shakur yields a firsthand insight on gang warfare, prison, and redemption. “There are no gang experts except participants (xiii)” says Kody Scott aka. Monster. Monster vicariously explains the roots of the epidemic of South Central Los Angeles between the Crips and the Bloods that the world eventually witnessed on April 29, 1992. As readers we learn to not necessarily give gangs grace but do achieve a better understanding of their disposition to their distinct perception in life.

Edwin Sutherland’s Social Learning Theory of Crime is crime learned throughout social interaction with antisocial peers. This theory demonstrates the individuals demeanor that emulates society’s cultural and sub cultural values consisting of methods for executing crime - intentions, ambitions, justifications, or perspectives. A behavioral approach to studying sexual assault begins with the hypothesis that sexual aggression is educated. Theorists stress the importance of attitudes that rationalize or validate rape. Rape is produced by differences in the way women and men are sexually socialized, which implies that if women were socialized like men, they would

When we were kids we were told of many imaginary monsters, but as you grow up we learn what the real monsters are. A monster is defined as a badly behaved or cruel person, something that is absurdly large, or a fictional and frightening creature. The monsters that we know of today are nothing like the ones when we were little kids. When you realize things like the monster under your bed isn’t real is when you come to know that society is the real monster. Jennifer Lynn Barnes gives us insight on who the monsters really are when she tells us that, "They told him he was killing monsters, and then they made him kill people. He thought it was just me who was different, and he didn't go through with killing me. He

Gangs seem to serve a purpose and function for its members as they “derive psychological benefits of recognition and respect” and they feel being part of a gang improves their self esteem and social status. There are many stories as to how the street gang Crips was formed in the late 1960’s. The first story states the Stanley “Tookie” Williams and Raymond Washington started the gang. Raymond Washington was the leader of a gang called “Baby Avenues” that was later called “Avenue Cribs”. It was believed that the newspaper misprinted the name of “Crib” to “Crip” and the name stuck. Another theory suggested that the name came from a man being quoted as saying he was assaulted by a “crip”, meaning a crippled person. Washington’s brother had a leg

Kody Scott grew up in South Central L.A. during the nineteen-sixties and seventies, soon after the creation of the Crips. Raised in poverty without a father, and a full family raised solely by his mother, Kody Scott led the stereotypical “ghetto” life, a poor and broken home. However he does not blame this on his own personal decision to join the Crips while only eleven year’s old. The allure of the respect and “glory” that “bangers” got, along with the unity of the “set”(name for the specific gang) is what drew him into the gang. Once joined, he vowed to stay in the “set” for life, and claimed that banging was his life. After many years of still believing this, he eventually realized that the

Reading the essays in the Monsters text, it is fascinating to see how connected all the stories written by different authors with dissimilar purposes are. Through the issues regarding the monsters, the elements that hold the essays together, and what is interesting about the readings. Though these stories span different times, each one shows a different side of humanity, monsters are scary because they are so humanlike and we can see ourselves as these monstrosities.

Rarely do childish creativity and the experience of third year art students combine. When it happens however, the result is akin to the success of Guildford Park's Monster Project. Held from May 10th to May 24th, the exhibition of works from this undertaking were phenomenal.

According to Jenny Strauss Clay, in their journal titled “The Generation of Monsters in Hesiod,” there is a “natural hierarchy of men and beasts” (Clay 112). As with any hierarchy, there are usually differences, or in this case “distinguishing features of the divine, the bestial, and the human,” which instinctively place some creatures above others (Clay 108). In the Greek and Roman myths that we read in class, this hierarchy is clearly shown through the relationship between the gods and monsters. As written in Theogony, all monsters derived from Gaia, however it is their appearances that set them apart from the gods. Clay defines being monstrous as being an anomaly. From birth, a monster “does not fit into usual classifications, or

The 2003 film “Monster”, staring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci, follows prostitute and serial killer Aileen Wuornos as she commits the crime of murdering six men. From the against the norm gender roles to brutal issues of domestic violence and rape, this film is ridden with numerous topics in relation to deviance. While murder and prostitution is universally regarded as deviant, the film embodies both labeling and feminist theory considering society provides a master status to those who commit deviant acts, deviance depends on nature of act and what others do about it, and society is built on a structure of male domination.

Social disorganization theory in part manages to evaluate why youth crime occurs; however, this theory has its limitations, and requires additional insight from another theory; General Strain Theory to provide a strong evaluation methodology. In evaluating these theories, several academic sources such as articles and books will be consulted.

     The use of how the theory has been used, an increased number of studies have begun to focus on differential association.  As such, the theory itself is making a come back into the field of criminology, as well as several other disciplines.  Thus, Sutherland’s theory has been in use now for over 64 years and continues to be quite popular in explaining why individuals commit deviant acts.