control 1/3: Graduate Studies and Control Theories

Course Structure:
- Graduate courses are typically three hours long, once a week.
- The speaker believes most graduate students prefer this format over shorter, more frequent undergraduate classes.
Workload:
- Students usually take three to four courses.
- The majority of time is spent on reading and research.
Class Dynamics:
- Graduate classes are discussion-based, with professors guiding the conversation using books and posing questions.
- Student participation is heavily emphasized; professors facilitate rather than dominate.
- PowerPoint presentations are less common; the focus is on oral discussion and engagement with the material.
- Students are expected to actively engage with the readings during class, not just passively take notes.
Expectations and Attitude:
- Graduate studies demand full commitment; half-hearted participation is discouraged.
- Missing classes is frowned upon unless due to serious illness.
- Students may be advised to leave the program if they lack confidence or fail to meet the requirements.
- The environment can be competitive and challenging.
Reading Load:
- Graduate students are assigned a significant amount of reading material per class (e.g., four to five papers).

Case Overview:
- Ethan Crumbley shot and killed four people at his school in 2021.
- His parents were charged with manslaughter due to their neglectful behavior.
- They bought him a rifle for Christmas and failed to provide necessary mental health support.
Legal and Ethical Questions:
- Is holding parents accountable for their children's actions a victory for justice?
- Do parents have a responsibility to provide appropriate socialization and mental health care?
- Is this an example of "net widening," where the criminal justice system expands its reach?
Sociological vs. Criminal Justice Perspectives:
- The criminal justice system focuses on individual responsibility.
- Sociology examines broader factors like relationships, parenting, and societal conditions.
- Addressing crime requires fixing societal issues, not just individual behavior.
Assigning Blame:
- How much responsibility should be assigned to parents versus society in cases like this?
- Society's role could include weak gun laws or easily accessible weapons.
Criminal Justice Limitations:
- The criminal justice system primarily focuses on individual offenders.
- It struggles to address the underlying social problems that contribute to crime.

Overview:
- Control theories are considered superior to other approaches in explaining deviance.
- They are well-supported by quantitative research in both criminology and psychology.
- Some view control theories as overly regulatory, conservative, or even akin to Nazism, but the speaker disagrees.
Core Idea:
- Deviance results from a lack of control or restraint, not from exceptional circumstances.
- It examines why people don't commit crimes.

Key Concept:
- Lack of bonding leads to delinquency.
- Bonding is equated with love and guidance.
Four Components of Social Bond:
- Attachment: Bonds to others, involvement with conformist individuals.
- Commitment: Stake in conformity, reputation, investment in oneself.
- Involvement: Time spent on conventional activities versus unconventional behavior.
- Belief: Belief in the law, respect for rules.
Application:
- Stronger social bonds (higher scores on attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief) lead to conformity.
- Weaker social bonds increase the likelihood of delinquency.
Travis Hirschi:
- Hirschi was religiously conservative, which may have influenced his work.
- The speaker shares an anecdote about Hirschi's blunt and potentially offensive definition of the family.

Sutherland's Argument:
- Learning deviance is variable; some people learn more deviant behaviors and beliefs than others.
- Control is constant (static) throughout life.
Control Theory's Argument:
- Learning is constant; everyone learns the same norms.
- Control is variable; some people have stronger or weaker controls.
- A theory of criminal motivation is unnecessary.
Core Difference:
- Sutherland: Deviance is learned.
- Control Theory: Deviance is natural; it's the controls that prevent it.
Which is More Accurate?
- Control theorists argue that we all know the norms, but some are more impulsive.
- Learning theorists argue that values and norms vary among individuals.
Speaker's Perspective:
- The speaker finds control theory more plausible.
- Most people know what is right and wrong.
- Control varies among individuals; some are more able to adhere to the law due to their backgrounds.
- Some students are naturally more disciplined and motivated than others.
Potential Research:
- It would be possible to measure learning and control variables among students to determine which theory is more supported.