The Outsider: Exploring Social Influences on Criminal Behavior

Name Institutional Affiliations Date The Outsider Social Causes of Criminal Behaviors/Labeling Theory- Analysis of “The Outsider Film 1983” Introduction Different authors use different styles/approaches to pass their message to their target audiences. Documentaries and films are among the most effective means of communicating a pressing message to the target audiences due to the combination of vocal and visual elements incorporated therein. Francis Ford directed "The Outsider," an adaptation of S.E. Hinton's novel "Outsiders" of 1967. It is a great film that criminal analysis behaviors from the individual and group perspective offer the target audiences a better understanding of the social causes that expose many to criminal acts. To this effect, this essay will offer a detailed analysis of "The Outsider Film" to dig deeper into its main theme of self-identity vs. group identity. Could the Outsiders, who in this case are the greasers, feel they are part of the outside world, making them behave in a bad manner as compared to those who feel attached and accepted into society? According to the labeling theory, self-identity becomes severely affected by terms that the society uses to describe or classify individuals, which rhymes with the Outsider theme as many greasers remained associated with deviant elements leading them to become more deviant. Merton's strain theory, on the other hand, argues that there are discrepancies between societal goals and means individuals must have to achieve them, which prove a clear path to crime origin. Merton's strain theory argues that people do not just engage in crime. On the contrary, crime proves the most potential outcome when people become socialized into expecting success but fail to achieve it due to limited opportunities. In such a case, one can confirm that social structures pressures p