Essay - Sociology Theories Social Learning Theory: Homicide & Terrorism Akers &...

Sociology Theories

Social Learning Theory: Homicide & Terrorism

Akers & Silverman would apply principles of social learning theory to explain whey homicides and terrorists act in aggressive and violent manners. Their explanations would suggest that ***** and homicides learn to behave in aggressive and violent ways through positive reinforcement, conditioning ***** via the cultural environment in which people are raised. Akers & Silverman would not support a biologically based explanation for violent or aggressive tendencies among homicidal or terr*****ist supporters. These ideas are explored ***** more detail below.

While the definitions of what comprises terrorism vary from person ***** person, one fact is clear. Many ***** committing acts of terrorism "live openly in society and can reflect on *****ors that determine *****ir actions" (Stout, 4). Many people do not differentiate between ***** and ***** of communal violence, warfare or other forms of terror (Stout, 2002). A somewhat generic definition of terrorism may define terrorism as politically motivated acts ***** violence directed at "noncombatants" with the intent of inducing fear (*****, 2002).

***** is more easily defined as ***** of ***** that result ***** the death of an*****, with or without malicious intent (Blumstein ***** Rosenfeld, 1998). During the last decade ***** homicide rate has been declining somewhat, and researchers have been eager to explore the reasons for this (Blumstein & Rosenfeld, *****). Explanations include more ***** policing ***** community efforts to fight back against ***** (Blumstein ***** Rosenfeld, 1998).

For acts ***** homicide and terror to continue ***** decline it is important that researchers underst***** the nature of each. Silverman & Albini ***** that terrorism is related to identity, ***** learning, resource mobilization, strain and opportunity. The researchers fur*****r suggest ***** terror*****m is an identity-based issue related ***** the state ***** mind of the terrorist. Fur*****r Silverm***** argues that there is limited support ********** that terrorism can be learned from subcultural characteristics of a terrorist's soci*****l environment. This coincides somewhat with Akers' theories of learning. Akers suggests that people learn aggressive acts, whether ***** ***** or to commit homicide through operant conditioning. His work suggests that hostility and aggression are learned traits that people acquire ***** direct conditioning processes ***** by modeling the actions of others. According to Akers (1977) ***** reinforcement and alluding punishment can contribute ***** aggressive tendencies and serve to promote more homicidal or terrorist tendencies.

***** learning theorists like Akers and Silverman suggest that people engaging in violent homicidal ***** and terrorism might learn to imitate and copy their behaviors from *****, whether from their culture as ***** ***** suggest or through their environment or the media as ***** is more likely to suggest. These *****ories ***** not *****sociated the tendency toward violence and aggression with physiological or biological causes, rather suggest that terr**********ts ***** homicidal individuals learn to ***** aggressive acts through positive and conditional reinforcing. ***** theory is easily supported through close examination of terror*****t and ***** literature. ***** for example commonly occurs with cultural ***** social support. Many religious based acts ***** terror