ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews some work of the social control theorists writing in the 1950s and 1960s. It introduces the long history of social control perspectives. Modern day social control theorists aim to explain factors keeping people from committing criminal or delinquent behavior. Albert Reiss, Walter Reckless, Simon Dinitz, Ellen Murray, Greshem Sykes, and David Matza have provided some of the earliest social control perspectives. The work of Travis Hirschi served as the instigator of contemporary social control theory and also as the foundation for the general theory of crime. The chapter examines the strength of differential association and social control theory in explaining race, family structure, and delinquency. It discusses two key elements of containment theory: inner and outer containment. Finally, the chapter provides evidence that the social control perspective has and continues to have some relevance for understanding race, ethnicity, crime, and justice.
