Akers, Ronald L.

Akers, Ronald L.

▪ American criminologist
born Jan. 7, 1939, New Albany, Ind., U.S.

      American criminologist widely known for his social learning theory of crime. After earning a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Kentucky (1966), Akers taught at several universities before joining the faculty of the University of Florida (1980), where he served as professor of sociology and director of the Center for Studies in Criminology and Law.

      Akers argued that criminal behaviour is the product of normal learning. The original version of this theory, developed with the American sociologist Robert L. Burgess and published as A Differential Association-Reinforcement Theory of Criminal Behavior (1966), drew upon earlier work by the American criminologist Edwin Sutherland (Sutherland, Edwin) and the American psychologist B.F. Skinner (Skinner, B.F.). On the basis of Sutherland's differential theory of crime (according to which criminal acts are most likely to occur in social settings that cast crime in a favourable light) and Skinner's theory of operant conditioning (according to which learning is a form of association created through reinforcements such as punishments and rewards), Akers argued that criminal behaviour is learned through both social and nonsocial reinforcements and that most learning of criminal behaviour occurs in social interactions with other people.

      Later versions of Akers's theory drew upon the social learning theory of the American psychologist Albert Bandura (which broadened operant conditioning to include learning that takes place through modeling) and ultimately examined the effects on individuals of behaviours seen on television and in motion pictures. Akers argued that, although criminal behaviour is acquired through social interaction and modeling, it is maintained over time through the actual consequences of criminal acts, both social and nonsocial. He further argued that social learning is the process that mediates the effects of social structural factors on criminal and deviant behaviour. Akers tested his theory in a variety of studies involving delinquency and drug, alcohol, and cigarette use. In 1988 he received the Edwin H. Sutherland Award from the American Society of Criminology for outstanding contributions to theory and research.

Thomas J. Bernard
 

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ronald L. Akers — (auch Ron Akers, * 7. Januar 1939 in New Albany, Indiana) ist ein US amerikanischer Soziologe und Kriminologe. Leben Akers wurde 1966 an der University of Kentucky zum Ph.D. in Soziologie promoviert, lehrte US amerikanischen Hochschulen und ist… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Akers — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Alan Burt Akers, ein Pseudonym von Kenneth Bulmer (1921–2005), britischer Schriftsteller Bill Akers (1904–1962), US amerikanischer Baseballspieler Charlie Akers (* 1939), US amerikanischer Skilangläufer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Milburn Akers — Milburn Peter Akers (1900 1970), often known as Pete Akers, was a Chicago journalist, chairman of the Board of Trustees of McKendree College, and the ninth president of Shimer College. Akers was born in Chicago and graduated from McKendree… …   Wikipedia

  • Right Realism — In criminology, Right Realism (also known as New Right Realism, Neo Classicism, Neo Positivism, or Neo Conservatism) is the ideological polar opposite of Left Realism. It considers the phenomenon of crime from the perspective of political… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste der Biografien/Ak — Biografien: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • criminology — criminological /krim euh nl oj i keuhl/, criminologic, adj. criminologically, adv. criminologist, n. /krim euh nol euh jee/, n. the study of crime and criminals: a branch of sociology. [1855 60; < L crimin (s. of crimen; see CRIME) + O + LOGY] *… …   Universalium

  • Liste von Soziologen — Bekannte Soziologen und Soziologinnen Sachbeiträge zur Soziologie siehe auf der zugehörigen Themenliste und der Liste bahnbrechender soziologischer Publikationen; allgemein ist auf das Portal:Soziologie zu verweisen. A Esko Aaltonen Nermin Abadan …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Neo-classical school — Criminology and Penology Schools Chicago School · Classical School Conflict Criminology Environmental Criminology Feminist School · …   Wikipedia

  • Quantitative methods in criminology — Since the inception of the discipline, quantitative methods have provided the primary research methods for studying the distribution and causes of crime. Quantitative methods provide numerous ways to obtain data that are useful to many aspects of …   Wikipedia

  • Donald Cressey — in 1960 Born April 27, 1919(1919 04 27) Fergus Falls, Minnesota Died …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”