A Critical Analysis of George Sodini and Social Control Theory Paper Example

The story of George Sodini is one of a serial killer who fired more than fifty shots in a dance class at an L.A fitness gym. He walked into the dance class placed his bags down and later opened fire after which he committed suicide. After this unfortunate event, it emerged that George had an online diary that documented in a chronological manner the instances that he had been rejected by women. He also listed on his page the date that he was going to die (Murray, 2014). As a result of Georges actions, three women lost their lives. This paper will critically look at the undertakings of George visa vis the theory of social control, considering the various thesis.

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Social Control Theory gained broad recognition in the 1960s when sociologists of that time were in the pursuit of finding the different concepts of crime. The theory was put forth by Travis Hirschi and stated that the social ties of an individual hinder them from taking part in deviant behavior (Garlant,2000). Therefore, the absence of social ties leads to crime and deviant behavior. There is some truth to the theory as George was seen as a loner by his neighbors. In his own words, he says on his blog that he has been unable to attain meaningful relationships and that was his biggest problem(Murray,2014). He also states that for the better part of his life he has been unhappy.

George falls at the center of the Social Control Theory, from his blog we can see that he did not have any meaningful links. The theory states that the bond is both with persons within the family and those outside the family. Outside the family, ties can be workmates, flatmate, School friends among others. By joining the dance class, George was desirous of forming bonds. However, this did not bear any fruits; in fact, he felt more alienated. One may ask how societal ties prevent a person from engaging in crime? The answer is in being involved in social activities, for instance, the desire to achieve career satisfaction. George is a perfect case study and an example of the strength of the theory.

The Reckless Theory goes hand in hand with self-control. The reckless theory is premised on the desire of people to do wrong things at some point in their lives. That at some point in a person's life a person will want to be defiant. Despite the desire of persons to do wrong, they have self-control and internal control mechanisms such as self-control that stops them from acting recklessly. The mode of ensuring one has self-control is by ensuring that they have proper socialization says, Hirschi.

Hagans Theory is also known as the power-control theory; it mainly focuses on gender. The genesis of the theory was as a result of the liberation of women. The supposition states that the role parents play in raising children can lead or stop delinquency. The authority of the parents and how they relate with one another when raising their children to influence their actions. Hagans thoughts are similar to Gottfredson and Hirschi when it comes to self-control, in that, self-control is directly promotional to how children are raised. Gottfredson focuses on the way a child is raised up, and the values instilled, good parenting and bad parenting, whereas Hagan focuses on the power play, wife's being submissive and dominant while men being the decision makers and rulers. Thus, children are growing up with a perception of being more powerful and entitled. George might have felt that women ought to be submissive to him and his advances and could not avoid or reject him.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear that George Sodini in one way or the other falls into these groups of the theories that deal with socialization both in the family and society level. He did not have a connection to people as he was a loner and did not take rejection from women well which shows entitlement. The theories are important because they can help people understand why delinquents act in a delinquent manner and help avoid such situations.

References

Garland, D., & Sparks, R. (Eds.). (2000). Criminology and social theory (No. 1). Oxford University Press on Demand.

Williams, F. P., & McShane, M. D. (1994). Criminological theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Messner, S. F., Krohn, M. D., & Liska, A. E. (Eds.). (1989). Theoretical integration in the study of deviance and crime: Problems and prospects. SUNY Press.

Murray, J. L. (2014). The Mass Killer's Search for Validation through Infamy, Media Attention and Transcendence. In The Death and Resurrection of Deviance (pp. 235-251). Palgrave Macmillan, London.