ABSTRACT
Social process theories redress errors that arise when social structure theories are applied at the individual level. Features of the social structure may unevenly expose members of the lower class to adverse social processes, which in turn could translate to higher rates of deviance. Differential association suggests that persons socialized in disorganized neighborhoods are likely to have associations that will encourage criminal adaptations. The original point of departure for techniques of neutralization as a theory of delinquency was Sutherland’s assertion that learning criminal or delinquent behavior includes values and rationalizations as well as techniques of committing offenses. The college student aspiring to a career in law or criminal justice may avoid experimenting with drugs out fear of imperilling career prospects. Social process theories are consistent with a pattern of crime and delinquency weighted toward members of the lower class.
