Question.3911 - Discuss the primary criticisms regarding the developmental perspective, particularly that presented by Gottfredson and Hirschi. Which theoretical paradigm do you consider the most valid? Why? Don't forget to respond to two classmates for full credit. Complete your initial post by Thursday of this week in order to give others time to respond by Sunday night.
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The developmental viewpoint in criminology is frequently contested for its method of explaining criminal conduct throughout an individual's lifetime, especially in light of criticism from theorists such as Gottfredson and Hirschi. According to Gottfredson and Hirschi's seminal General Theory of Crime (1990), aberrant behavior is primarily caused by a lack of self-control that develops early in childhood and lasts throughout life (Hirschi & Gottfredson, 1993). Other developmental theories that stress life changes and shifting risk factors over time stand in stark contrast to this static viewpoint. The primary criticism of their perspective is the static nature of the theory’s assumptions that self-control has been established by around age 8 and remains stable thereafter where this perspective overlooks substantial empirical evidence showing that individuals can change significantly due to life events, interventions, or social influences. On the contrary, Sampson and Laub’s Age-Graded Theory of Informal Social Control is a more valid and comprehensive approach than Gottfredson and Hirschi's for understanding behavior over the life course (Laub et al., 2018). This favors age-graded theory through a dynamic understanding of human behavior accommodating the notion that an individual’s life course could change due to pivotal events over the life course. This provided a more robust framework by recognizing that an individual’s behaviors and choices can evolve through different stages of life, influenced by social bonds and opportunities for change. However, this dynamic, multifactorial approach better aligns with real-world observations and empirical evidence, making it a more valid theoretical paradigm (Laub et al., 2018). On the contrary, Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime has offered an insightful lens on the significance of self-control that is not formulated in the Age-Graded Theory of Informal Social Control. References Hirschi, T., & Gottfredson, M. (1993). Commentary: Testing the general theory of crime. Journal of research in crime and delinquency, 30(1), 47-54. Laub, J. H., Rowan, Z. R., & Sampson, R. J. (2018). The age-graded theory of informal social control. The Oxford handbook of developmental and life-course criminology, 295-322.More Articles From Judiciary
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