Summary
Chris Gardner is a renowned American investor, author, and philanthropist. Gardner was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1954. Gardner was raised by a single parent in an underprivileged setting after being abandoned by his father. In the 1980s, at the age of 27, Mr. Gardener and his young son were homeless for one year in San Francisco. Enlisted on a low-paying apprentice organization at a stock brokerage, Gardner did not have adequate funding required to cater for an apartment deposit. Therefore, Mr. Gardner, being estranged from his spouse, and his son, Chris Junior, would then find shelter at any location, depending on their whereabouts. They would later spend their nights in places such as toilets at the railway station, in parks, churches, or under desks after every person has retreated to their home.
While working at the brokerage firm, the little amount of cash earned was used in enrolling his son to daycare for him to go to work. Even though Gardener experienced numerous adversities, he remained committed to his job. At the end of his training program under Dean Witter, Gardner was promoted to a full-time employee. His career gradually developed, and in 1987, he initiated his investment firm known as Gardner Rich. Before disposing of his shares, Gardener was the Chief Executive officer of his corporation, the firm's operations majored in stock brokerage ( KURNIAWAN, 2016) . Preceding the death of his wife, Gardner had been advised by his wife to look for true contentment in his life. Therefore, he embarked on a mission around the globe as a motivational speaker and philanthropist to combat gender violence. Currently, Mr. Gardner's net worth is projected to be $60 million.
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Data Required by a Social Control Theorist
According to Dillon (2020) , a social control theorist may require information that is characterized by a social bond. The concept is comprised of four elements that include attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief. Attachment is considered as the most significant element. The power of the bond, or connections, an individual may have to noteworthy individuals such as parents or friends may inhibit deviance. Any community devoid of delinquency and deviance is, by description, considered as uncharacteristic. This data is required since deviance takes place when one of the four components may be either weakened or broken. In this case, attachment is attributed to the strong bond between the father and son. Involvement and commitment are viewed through Gardner's work in Dean Witter's corporation. Gardner's belief is illustrated by making 200 calls a day to snag Dean Witter's clients. He recalls how he believed that he was closer to digging himself out of the tight situation. After five years, he instituted his brokerage firm in Chicago. This illustrates the belief and determination possessed by Gardner to be successful despite the adversities experienced. This would clarify in what way and why a majority of individuals are not a result of their surroundings.
Social control Mechanisms
Persons would be able to prosper irrespective of their surroundings since they are capable of making rational choices. During his early phase in life, Gardner was enlisted to join the United States navy while also working as a medic in North Carolina. As it is the norm with every military branch, individuals are instilled with the aspects of obedience and maintaining dignity at all times. In addition, fellow sailors within the navy may have contributed to Gardner’s ability to cope with the previous life adversities. This social control perception is clearly illustrated in the participation and commitment segment of Hirschi’s four fundamentals of social bonding. With the navy and some other affirmative exterior aspects being existent in Gardner’s early life, this is apparently the steady foundation he desired to battle against the difficulties he experienced. Other aspects that contributed to his perseverance include his family, colleagues, support from the neighbors, and other youth agendas. Every time the four social bonds are complete, it may result in a great deal of motivation for the most predisposed unproductive person to accomplish success.
Theories to Defend Perceived Indulgence in Crime by Gardner
No theories could defend any crime related deeds. However, if Gardner may have opted to get engaged in crime, several theories may be used to explain his deeds, in regard to the environment. The theories that may be utilized in explaining the Gardner’s supposed involvement in crime include the positivist theory, the differential association theory, and the social disorganization theory ( Krohn & Ward, 2016) . If the differential association theory is applied, Gardner's "bad" side may be compared to "good" Brescia, who may have learned affirmative principles from individuals closer to him. Therefore, Gardner refrained from getting engaged in activities that may be against the laws. In addition, various aspects of “bad” Gardner’s past may also have been scrutinized if the instances were deviantly orientated. The next theory involves social learning theory. It discusses the notion that behavior is a product of the current and historical events in the life of a person. In addition, the relations in a specific setting are the determinants of the emergence of crime. The contingencies of reinforcing and administering punishment determine if a particular behavior's regularity has increased or diminished.
References
Dillon, M. (2020). Introduction to sociological theory: Theorists, concepts, and their applicability to the twenty-first century . John Wiley & Sons.
Krohn, M., & Ward, J. T. (2016). Integrating criminological theories. The handbook of criminological theory , 318-335.
KURNIAWAN, R. (2016). A STUDY ON CHRIS GARDNER’S MOTIVATION TO SURVIVE IN THE “PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS “FILM BY GABRIELLE MUCHINO (Doctoral dissertation, University of Muhammadiyah Malang).
