Social Bonding Theory

 Social control is used in setting specific codes of behavior among different groups in society. Social control measures involve pursuing activities that are socially accepted, which turned away from those that are unacceptable. As such, social control measures are used in deterring the occurrence of vices in society, such as crime. While deviant behavior is punished and frowned upon, devout behavior is praised. As such, social control is best used as a way of establishing order in society by creating socially accepted behavior. This essay draws attention to Travis Hirshi’s social bonding theory as a form of social control. It also highlights why people conform to norms in society and shun deviant behavior that is deemed antisocial.

The role of social bonds in society is that it helps to foster relationships between individuals themselves and between individuals and the community. Through these bonds, the behavior of the individuals is such that they are likely to engage in behavior, which upholds these bonds while shying away from behavior that threatens these bonds (Schreck, 2014). Hirshi further argued that the strength of these social bonds was instrumental in determining a person’s criminal behavior. People with little or no social relationships are more likely to commit a crime, given that they lack the restraint one gets from having a sense of belonging to society. They do not conform to norms and values; instead, they are more inclined towards deviant behavior. As a mechanism of social control, social order is instilled through the avenues of bonds in the society, such as schools, churches, family ties, and social circles, which inhibit the pursuit of deviant behavior (Joanne, 2011).

The theory is built upon four elements. The first is the element of attachment, which argues that the value an individual has on their surroundings acts to either promote or deter deviant behavior. The aspect of commitment alludes to the individual’s perception and willingness to adhere to socially accepted norms in relation to deviant behavior. Individuals devoted to societal norms are less likely to engage in abnormal behavior. The element of involvement highlights the level to which the individual participates in core social set-ups from schools, church, public, and other social meetings. The fourth element is a belief, whereby individuals with stronger values are wired to engage actively and acceptable behavior in that they have a deep sense of right from wrong.

Social bonding affects conformity in the United States, especially among group identity. Among adolescents and youth, peer pressure influences members of these groups to engage in deviant behavior. Whereas they exhibit conformity towards group bond and identity, the bond draws them to pursue antisocial behavior and reject socially accepted norms (Kim et al., 2016). Additionally, groups are prone to behavior that is common among their peers, regardless if it is wrong or right. The attachment to groups is such that personal norms and values are thoroughly compromised. Social bonding while facilitating social control, it is also an avenue for mobilization along with certain behavior patterns. Conformity towards inaccurate and often misleading behavior is prevalent in the United States due to the compromise of personal values (Beran et al., 2015).

The social bonding theory points towards weak social bonds as causes of crime in society. Social control is responsible for deterring deviant behavior in the community. The labeling theory as a school of crime causation argues that when society labels certain individuals as engaging in crime and deviant behavior, the effect is that it leads to an increase in crime, as people will conform to those labels. As such, labeling inhibits social bonding because people will not like to associate with people deemed bad and evil in society. On the other hand, labeling has worked to deter criminal behavior as individuals conform to social norms so that they do not have labels attached to them. Social learning theory argues that people learn deviant behavior as a result of exposure to such behavior either through the media, association, or observation deviant behavior. When individuals grow up or associate with areas where criminal behavior is quickly reinforced and not punished, there is a high chance they will learn the inroads of such behavior and turn to crime (Ward and Brown, 2015). Some of the social norms and values are strenuous to people who cannot attain those set standards. The social strain thus suggests such stress can lead individuals to engage in crime as a way to escape from societal norms. The pressure from attaining goals leads those who cannot attain through the set means to pursue alternatives that include engaging in criminal behavior.

Finally, the effects of crime stretch across society and can bring suffering and loss to both victims and perpetrators. Understanding the causes of criminal and deviant behavior in society is instrumental in safeguarding the well being of people. Through this, people can be led to pursue behavior that is beneficial to all members of the community.  While numerous theories attempt to explain the causes of crime, all of them point towards the structure of society and its impact on forming behavior. As such, more study is needed to establish ways through which these structures can be organized in ways that are acceptable to all.

Works Cited

Beran, Tanya. Drefs, Michelle. Kaba, Alyshash. (2015). Conformity of responses among graduate students in an online environment. The Internet and Higher Education.       Vol. 25, pp63-69

Joanne, Roberts. Ismail Dincer, Gunes. Seward, Rudy. (2011). The Impact of Self             Esteem, Family Rituals, Religiosity, and Participation in Conforming Activities upon Delinquency: A Comparison of Young Adults in Turkey and the United            States. Journal of Comparative Family Studies. Pp49-76.

Kim, Elizabeth. Chen, Chuangsheng. Smetana, Judith. Greenberger, Ellen. (2016). Does   children’s moral compass waver under social pressure? Using the conformity paradigm to test preschoolers’ moral and social-conventional judgments. Journal     of Experimental Child Psychology. Vol. 150, pp 241-251

Schreck, Christopher J. (2014). Hirschi, Travis. The Encyclopedia of Theoretical    Criminology: Travis Hirschi. John Wiley and Sons. Pp1-3

Ward, Jeffery. Brown, Chelsea. (2015). Social Learning Theory and Crime. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Pp409-414