Criminology, A Sociological Understanding
Kayla Cochran
4/03/14
CrimJ 012: Criminology
Theoretical Application/Video Paper
The movie “The Dark Knight” portrays a large amount of criminal behavior throughout the entire plot. The movie takes place in Gotham City, which was originally described as an ominous place to live. The City is portrayed as dark and full of crime, grime, corruption, and a sense of urban decay. The plot of the movie is that The Joker, who is a deviant character and a criminal mastermind, seeks revenge for Batman and wants to demolish him. Batman, who is also Bruce Wayne, is a dedicated billionaire who serves to protect the City of Gotham from all crime. Bruce witnessed the murder of his parents when he was a child and swore to seek revenge on any criminals, including The Joker. Another character, Harvey Dent also aims to protect Gotham City and is whom which Bruce Wayne wants to take over being Batman for him in the future. A twist of turns happens and Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face by the end of the movie due to tragic events. Hirschi’s Social Control Theory helps the examination of this criminal behavior throughout the movie more understandable. Hirschi’s Social Control Theory states that we are all capable of committing a crime. We are all hedonistic, which means that no one is better than anyone else. We should also need a reason to refrain from committing crime, and unlike most theories, the Social Control Theory asks the question of “Why don’t people commit crime?” instead of the most common question of “Why do people commit crime?” Hirschi’s Social Control Theory has four main concepts or bonds, which are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Attachment is the close social tie a person has to their parents and society. Commitment is what we are inspired in to invest in long term goals. Involvement is the time and energy spent in legit activities and Belief is the belief in the values of society that someone has or doesn’t have. If the bonds in
4/03/14
CrimJ 012: Criminology
Theoretical Application/Video Paper
The movie “The Dark Knight” portrays a large amount of criminal behavior throughout the entire plot. The movie takes place in Gotham City, which was originally described as an ominous place to live. The City is portrayed as dark and full of crime, grime, corruption, and a sense of urban decay. The plot of the movie is that The Joker, who is a deviant character and a criminal mastermind, seeks revenge for Batman and wants to demolish him. Batman, who is also Bruce Wayne, is a dedicated billionaire who serves to protect the City of Gotham from all crime. Bruce witnessed the murder of his parents when he was a child and swore to seek revenge on any criminals, including The Joker. Another character, Harvey Dent also aims to protect Gotham City and is whom which Bruce Wayne wants to take over being Batman for him in the future. A twist of turns happens and Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face by the end of the movie due to tragic events. Hirschi’s Social Control Theory helps the examination of this criminal behavior throughout the movie more understandable. Hirschi’s Social Control Theory states that we are all capable of committing a crime. We are all hedonistic, which means that no one is better than anyone else. We should also need a reason to refrain from committing crime, and unlike most theories, the Social Control Theory asks the question of “Why don’t people commit crime?” instead of the most common question of “Why do people commit crime?” Hirschi’s Social Control Theory has four main concepts or bonds, which are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Attachment is the close social tie a person has to their parents and society. Commitment is what we are inspired in to invest in long term goals. Involvement is the time and energy spent in legit activities and Belief is the belief in the values of society that someone has or doesn’t have. If the bonds in