The Web of Conformity: A Network Approach to the Explanation of Delinquent Behavior

I use concepts and assumptions from the literature on social networks to construct a theory of delinquent behavior. The major premise of the theory is that the structural characteristics of a social (personal) network affect the degree to which participation in the network constrains behavior. I base hypotheses at both the social psychological and social structural levels of analysis on the structural characteristics of networks of multiplexity and density. Then I examine how this approach can account for some perplexing findings from past work on the relationships between social class and delinquent behavior. My essential argument is that social status and status area are related to delinquent behavior because they affect the structure of social networks.

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