Discuss briefly the Sutherland’s important contribution to Criminology?

Discuss briefly the Sutherland’s important contribution to Criminology

Discuss briefly the Sutherland’s important contribution to Criminology?

The name of Sutherland in criminology is considered as very important. He is considered as the father of the sociological school of Criminology. His contribution to the development of criminology is beyond comparison. 
Sutherland defines criminology as a branch of knowledge which treats crime as a social event. 

Three types of procedures are included in this social event. 
(a) Law Making process 
(b) Procedure for violation of the law 
(c ) Social reaction as a result of the violation of law 

The theory which was developed by Sutherland for analysis of criminal conduct is known as the theory of differential association. In reality, this is the historical interpretation of criminal conduct. The following are the assumptions of this theory: 

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1. Criminal behavior is learned.
2. Criminal behavior is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication.
3. The principal part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs within intimate personal groups.
4. When criminal behavior is learned, the learning includes techniques of committing the crime (which are sometimes very complicated, sometimes simple) and the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes.
5. The specific direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or unfavorable.
6. A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favourable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of the law.
7. Differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity.
8. The process of learning criminal behaviour by association with criminal and anti-criminal patterns involves all of the mechanisms that are involved in any other learning.
9. While criminal behaviour is an expression of general needs and values, it is not explained by those needs and values, since non-criminal behaviour is an expression of the same needs and values.

Criticism

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1 The differential association is not important in itself. In reality, it takes shape of that opportunity in which personality traits are expressed which are embodied in personality. 
2 There are many criminal conducts that are formed suddenly and they have no concern with learning. 
3 This theory does not explain this fact that a person who remains in a particular association or atmosphere forms his conduct as a criminal while the other person remaining in the same atmosphere does not.