Hirschi's Social Control Theory

Social control theories focus on the influences that assist the regulation of human behavior and which lead to conformity with the “rules” of society. The influencers include family, community, school, faith, values, and beliefs. The essence of control theory is that people will be less likely to deviate if they are integrated into mainstream institutions. The less people connecting to the conventional values of society, the more likely it is that deviance will occur. Does the existence of societal rules guarantee peaceful coexistence? Who is to be responsible for ensuring compliance with such rules? Why don’t people commit crime? The preceding questions are merely a sampling of such questions studied by social control theorists. Essentially,
Hirschi’s argument is that young people are more likely to conform if their bond to society is strong. This bond has four parts which include attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief. Overall, Hirschi's contributions to the field of criminological thought have been significant and therefore are indeed worthy of consideration. Though Hirschi’s theories continue to garner considerable popularity, there are also criticisms. Michael R. Gottfredson’s and Hirschi’s general theory of crime represents a more specific control theory that recognizes self- control or the lack thereof as the root of criminality or conformity, rather than societal control. They propose the link between self-control and crime is not deterministic, but probabilistic, affected by opportunities and other constraints. Emphasis is placed on parenting as the primary source of socialization that instills self-control in a child, though others may also play an integral role in the process of proper or improper
To better understand Hirschi it is important to understand the historical backdrop for the authorship and release of Causes of Delinquency in 1969. In the 1960s, American society was growing weary of the social disorganization perspective of criminology that had dominated criminological thought. Simultaneously, Hirschi had been observing a deterioration of social control over individuals. Social institutions, such as organized religion, the family, educational institutions, and political groups lost influence while the advent of rock and roll, drugs, and rights movements incented individuals to question and sever connections to conventional social norms. Most significant was the 1960s beginnings of the breakdown of the American family. The family breakdown was considered the cause of growing societal ills rather than social disorganization. Hirschi also suggested that public policies designed to deter or rehabilitate offenders will continue to be unsuccessful. Effective policies, according to Hirschi, must support and enhance strengthening of the family and improving the quality of parenting