Menace 2 Society Criminal Theory
Derrick Smith
Thomas
SO 325
Menace II Society
In life we all have to make decisions that we feel will give us the most personal gain. Although we make decisions that are meant to have the most positive effect on us, they don’t always result in the most positive outcomes. In the movie “Menace II Society”, we follow Kane Lawson through his life as he makes decisions that will alter his life in the best way he feels is possible. Kane has grown up in a rough, predominantly black neighborhood filled with poverty, drug dealing, gang violence, and death. The choices Kane has to make to better himself could result from the conclusion of a few different kinds of Criminal theories. I will explain how six different theories could explain the
events that took place in the movie.
The first theory I will discuss is Social Learning. Social Learning Theory is the focus on learning socially constructed meanings and beliefs through the association of peers and family. People are socialized to understand these meanings and beliefs then they negotiate these meanings through family and friends where they then are reinforced. This is the process where we not only learn the “how-to”, but the “why it’s ok” to engage in criminal acts. Sutherland states that Differential Association is learned through interactions with others and through the intensity and frequency of these interactions we learn the techniques and the attitudes. Akers adds that operant conditioning, such as external positive and negative reinforcement and punishers, along with imitation, and modeling contribute to the reason an individual leads to crime.
Thomas
SO 325
Menace II Society
In life we all have to make decisions that we feel will give us the most personal gain. Although we make decisions that are meant to have the most positive effect on us, they don’t always result in the most positive outcomes. In the movie “Menace II Society”, we follow Kane Lawson through his life as he makes decisions that will alter his life in the best way he feels is possible. Kane has grown up in a rough, predominantly black neighborhood filled with poverty, drug dealing, gang violence, and death. The choices Kane has to make to better himself could result from the conclusion of a few different kinds of Criminal theories. I will explain how six different theories could explain the
events that took place in the movie.
The first theory I will discuss is Social Learning. Social Learning Theory is the focus on learning socially constructed meanings and beliefs through the association of peers and family. People are socialized to understand these meanings and beliefs then they negotiate these meanings through family and friends where they then are reinforced. This is the process where we not only learn the “how-to”, but the “why it’s ok” to engage in criminal acts. Sutherland states that Differential Association is learned through interactions with others and through the intensity and frequency of these interactions we learn the techniques and the attitudes. Akers adds that operant conditioning, such as external positive and negative reinforcement and punishers, along with imitation, and modeling contribute to the reason an individual leads to crime.