STUDENT RESPONSE 2 (JOHANNA)
The four main elements according to Hirschi which are related to the social bond that one maintains with the society are attachment, commitment, involvement and belief. Attachment describes the strength of the bonds that one shares with the relationships that exist in the social environment. The main source of attachment when it comes to relationships in the social environment are family members. Family influences how one behaves and whether one turns out deviant or not although most of the times family is viewed as a positive contributor to the attachment element. Schools and friends can also play a role in attachment.
The second element is commitment. Commitment has to do with conventional goals and standards that one gets accustomed to in the social environment. Hirschi asserts that an individual who invested resources, time and energy in complying with the socially acceptable standards has more to lose when involved in deviant behaviors than one who has no commitment (Siegel & Welsh, 2017).
In regard to the element of involvement, Hirschi argues that when one is involved in socially acceptable activities such as school, church service or even work, the person has limited chances of engaging in deviant acts and the reverse is true in his submission.
Belief has to do with the fact that one has an ingrained belief system on the values and norms of the mainstream society as being valid (Siegel & Welsh, 2017). As one internalizes these values and norms, it becomes very difficult for one to violate them.
Most definitely these elements influenced me and continue to influence me even today. Take for instance belief, I just believe that it is wrong to take something which is not yours without requesting the owner. I have always also been committed to the good of the society and so I cannot imagine me starting to engage in criminal activities as that would deal my commitment a blow. I am also involved with school and work and as such I even from a tender age I would not imagine being deviant.
