Final answer:
Edwin Sutherland's differential association theory suggests that deviant behavior is learned through social interactions with others who practice such behavior. Examples include a young person adopting behaviors from their peer group or members of the power elite learning to engage in white-collar crimes via their social environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Edwin Sutherland's differential association theory posits that deviant behavior is learned through association with others who engage in such behavior. Real-world examples of this theory include a young person who becomes sexually active after being influenced by their sexually active peers, or a member of the power elite engaging in white-collar crimes after being socialized into norms that may condone bending or breaking laws to maintain or promote their status. Furthermore, cases such as children learning behaviors from peer groups, or experiments investigating bias in institutions, also demonstrate differential association.
For instance, a child who is raised in a family that practices and discusses fraudulent behaviors regularly is likely to view fraud as an acceptable, or even necessary, means to achieve success. On the institutional level, if a socioeconomic elite passes down norms and behaviors that justify ignoring certain laws for corporate gain, this would align with Sutherland's theory, as these behaviors would be learned through social interaction within that group. In both examples, the behavior is not seen as inherently deviant by the individual due to the normalization of it within their close social circles.