description Travis Hirschi Overview
Travis Hirschi was an American sociologist and criminologist associated with social control theories of crime. In Causes of Delinquency (1969), he argued that delinquency becomes more likely when attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief linking individuals to conventional society are weak. With Michael Gottfredson, he later developed a general theory that identified low self-control as an important explanation for crime and analogous behavior.
insights Ranking position
Travis Hirschi ranks #72 of 245 in the Sociologist ranking, behind Harrison White, ahead of Michael Burawoy.
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What are Travis Hirschi's four social bonds?
In Causes of Delinquency, Hirschi identified attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief as four bonds tying people to conventional society. His argument was that delinquency becomes more likely as these bonds weaken.
How did Hirschi's 1969 theory explain juvenile delinquency?
Hirschi began with the question of why most people conform rather than why a special minority offends. Using data on adolescents, Causes of Delinquency argued that strong ties to parents, school, conventional goals, and accepted rules restrain delinquent behavior.
How is Hirschi's social bond theory different from self-control theory?
Social bond theory focuses on a person's current connections to conventional institutions. A General Theory of Crime, written with Michael Gottfredson in 1990, instead emphasizes low self-control developed through early childhood socialization.
Did Travis Hirschi think delinquent friends cause crime?
Hirschi challenged the idea that delinquent peers are always an independent cause of offending. In his account, young people with weak conventional bonds may both offend and associate with others who behave similarly.
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