Applying differential association theory to online hate groups: a theoretical statement

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Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Social and Economic Research Association of the Turku Universities
Abstract

In this paper, I will consider how social media can nurture and encourage mass murder within a framework of one of the most prominent and widely supported criminological theories: differential association. I will briefly discuss the presence of hate groups on the web, and then I will review how the core principles of differential association are met and potentially amplified through social media. I then provide an example of the interconnectedness of hate groups, and conclude with a call for future research.

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Keywords
differential association, hate groups, social media
Citation
Hawdon, James (2012) Applying differential association theory to online hate groups: a theoretical statement. Research on Finnish Society Vol. 5: pp. 39–47.