Sutherland’s Differential Association theory describes a person’s actions as a result of their surroundings. It was applied especially to the actions of criminals and those who break the social norms of their society. The theory means that if one is surrounded by those who break the norms they are more likely to break them as well. In a simpler view of his theory this can be described with the cliche “monkey see, monkey do”. Above there are two opposing posters that utilize Uncle Sam in an attempt to drawl from a persons sense of belonging to the American society. The first poster has Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer saying “I want you to stay sober”. This poster is designed to get young peoples attention and tell them that it is fine to not drink. It is an attempt to sway their decision and keep them safe from the harmful effects of alcohol. On the other hand, the second poster says, “Beer Pong, sink it, drink it”. This poster was meant to relay the message that it is acceptable and even encouraged to drink. There are many ways that these posters display persuasion by being either for or against alcohol consumption. Our interpretation is that Sutherland’s Differential Association theory is in play as they are trying to sway the public to follow their lead and make the decision that Uncle Sam is encouraging. 
No comments:
Post a Comment