Tarde theory on imitation

Statement 1:  Gabriel Tarde’s theory on imitation is still legitimate today, to some degree, in that individuals do imitate those in power over them. This is seen mainly in adolescents. As people grow, they imitate their parents. When someone is raised in a loving environment, they grow up showing love to their families. However, when people are raised in a home with hate, bigotry, racism, or where the thought of killing those who think differently should be terminated is normal, this is how these individuals will act. Tarde believed that it is purely imitation that makes a person a criminal.

Statement 2:  Lastly, the theories of Albert Bandura and Edwin Sutherland helped establish the learning perspective. Bandura’s social learning theory implies by watching someone get rewarded for an action, someone is likely to model that behavior (Harmening & Gamez, 2016). In his differential association theory, Sutherland claimed when an individual becomes associated with a group, they begin to mimic and learn their behaviors (Bartol & Bartol, 2014).