Premium
Emotions in criminological theory: Insights from social psychology
Author(s) -
Dippong Joseph,
Fitch Chivon
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/soc4.12473
Subject(s) - general strain theory , coercion (linguistics) , identity (music) , sociology , social psychology , criminology , power (physics) , sociological theory , social identity theory , psychology , social theory , criminal behavior , affect (linguistics) , epistemology , social science , social group , juvenile delinquency , linguistics , philosophy , physics , communication , quantum mechanics , acoustics
Abstract A number of scholars have noted that emotional processes have been undertheorized in criminology. Although criminologists have explored how various emotions facilitate or inhibit crime, few formal theories of crime clearly address the role of emotional processes. Sociological theories of emotions provide a number of insights that criminologists might find useful to help fill the gaps in criminological explanations of offending. We illustrate the utility of sociological theories of emotions to criminology by connecting three prominent criminological theories with complimentary social psychological theories of emotions. Specifically, we discuss how the power–status theory of emotions can clarify emotional responses to strain in general strain theory, how affect control theory can illuminate the emotions involved in identity adoption within labeling theory, and how interaction ritual chains theory can highlight emotional responses to coercion in differential coercion theory. Making connections to more clearly theorize emotions is critical to the advancement of criminological theory.