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When studying deviance, sociologists view the subject in different ways, and posses different theories about the way deviant behavior is caused, treated and studied. Goode defines theories as "models of the world that are supported by a prepon ....

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... or differential association, in 1939. He simply stated that deviance is "passed on from one to another in a genuine learning process" (p.87). The two main elements in his theory are intensity and priority. This meant that the earlier one is exposed to deviance and the more personal he/she is with the person committing the deviant acts, the more likely he/she is to commit the acts themselves. Sutherland concluded that "a person becomes delinquent or criminal because definitions favorable to the violation of the law exceed definitions unfavorable to the violation of the law" (p.88). The learning theory has been modified over the years, i ...