The Devil Made Me Do It Analysis

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“The Devil Made Me Do It: Use of Neutralizations by Shoplifters,” is a research article written by Paul Cromwell and Quint Thurman that interviews shoplifters to find out about their usage of techniques of neutralization and the types of techniques used. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent in which the shoplifters use the techniques of neutralization. They wanted to find out whether a claim by Gresham Sykes and Davis Matza, on which people use certain techniques of neutralization to justify their wrongful behavior, applied to shoplifters. In this study, the researchers identified the extensive usage of techniques of neutralization among the shoplifters to alleviate guilt in doing the wrongful behavior. Besides, the researchers found out that people who do not …show more content…

I believe that all of us at some point doing wrongful behavior and breaking rules such as jaywalking. When reading this, I realize that I also use at least one of the techniques of neutralization to make me feel less guilty when doing any wrongful behavior. Besides, it makes me understand the usage of techniques of neutralization and realize on how important it is to take responsibility for our acts. I agree with the author’s conclusion that the continued use of neutralization and rationalization might weaken social bonds and reduce their need to use the techniques, over time. I think the more time you engage in doing deviant acts, the more ‘experienced’ you are, so you may received the label as deviant and because of that, you may not worried about what other people think about you anymore. Plus, I also agree that people tend to use more than one technique of neutralization at the same time. I agree with that claim as I had encountered people who did wrongful behavior that use more than one technique of

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