More handpicked essays just for you.
Rational Choice Theory Strengths And Weaknesses
Rational Choice Theory Strengths And Weaknesses
Rational choice theory
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In this case study, Laura and Danny have had significant changes in their lives. Laura has now left with the children and planning on moving with them to El Paso, Texas in a month. She has also filed for divorce from Danny. While Laura is making positive improvements to her life she is still concerned for Danny. She goes to collect what’s left of her belongings when she finds Danny in a state of panic. Danny has let himself go at this point. He started consuming alcohol, has not found a job, and is living with no electricity. Kid decides to pay Danny and Laura a visit and he quickly realizes Danny is in trouble. Danny begs for Kid’s assistance in order to help him start a new life. Danny is worried that he will end up alone and homeless …show more content…
The main idea of this perspective is that people make goal-directed decisions based on their rational thinking. (Hutchison, 2015) In this case study, rational choice perspective is used by Laura, Danny, and Kid. Each member provides a strong example of rational choice based on their own self-interest.
The first example that involves using the rational choice perspective is when Laura decides to move back home to El Paso with the children. She based her decision on her own personal goals and values. She feels as though she belongs to the community in El Paso and that is where her family is. She did not want her children to forget about the Mexican American heritage they are a part of. Laura’s goal in this decision is to make a better life for herself and her children.
The second example of when this case study involves the rational choice perspective is when Danny lied to Laura about having the job at GM. Danny used his rational thinking that if he told Laura he had a good job, that she would stay with Danny. Danny was desperate at this point and attempted to make Laura and the children stay. In his mind, he had to lie in order to gain his reward. He believed that the benefit of him saying he had a job would make his marriage
…show more content…
I would encourage Danny to attend AA meetings, seek employment opportunities and encourage Laura to attend family sessions with Danny. CBT focuses on the here and now problems and I find that these are the areas that Danny needs most help on. In order for Danny to begin his path to sobriety, I would assist him in finding AA meetings near his community. By attending those meetings, Danny would receive positive feedback from group members and have a good source of support. By compiling a list of job opportunities in St. Charles, I would assist Danny in choosing a job that best suits him. Having Laura attend family therapy with Danny would be most beneficial to their relationship. In these meetings they could focus on how to deal with their divorce and how they are going to handle living separately. Incorporating Laura is crucial to Danny’s
option, she decides to pursue another avenue. She first tries to attempt to see if it would be possible for Mr. Kirby to return home to his son’s house instead. However, all assessments of this possible route are ended with an excuse on the son’s part. It is at this point that the social worker then presents the option of an assisted care facility to the son, which is met with possible hope mixed with guilt (Goodyer, 2010). It is important to note that the options the social worker presents to the son are realistic. She makes sure to not give false hope of an easy road to get home health assistance, which is an vital part in ensuring that an informed decision is made. However, the fact that she completely writes off Mr. Kirby’s family as an avenue for help or strength is not
Client attempted to call Dan’s home but his wife would pick up and she would hang up. She would constantly call his job and he would ignore her calls. Client also that Dan had moved to the suburbs once she notified him that she was pregnant with their child. When she first notified him about being pregnant, he was under the impression that she would abort the child but she was not going to do that because she loved him and she was going to love this child as well. She made c...
We make important choices everyday that can affect our futures. Whether it is deciding what to eat for lunch or deciding what college to go to, these decisions can affect our lives in many ways. Choice is the act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities. By making a smart choice, your health and welfare can be much better but if you make a bad choice, you future can be different than what you intended it to be. Whether it is a mild choice or a major one, choices can affect the way your life unfolds in the future. In the book, The Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings, the main character Brady Parks is faced with a major dilemma. He has to make a decision to either turn in is friends for murder or to live
Probably one of the biggest economic debates is rationality. Whether a decision is rational or irrational. If I were to make a rational decision, it would most benefit me over all of the other choices I could have chosen from. This is how Professor Henry Spearman solves the case of the murder. All of the suspects are proven guilty or innocent based off of the decisions they make. If it is a rational decision, then the suspect is thought of as innocent. If it is an irrational decision, then the suspect is thought of as
The clients goals are to be reunited with her children, maintain housing, and to attend parenting to strengthen her skills and the bond with her children. Client is doing well: abstaining from drinking and complying with and attending program, no longer with abusive boyfriend, willing to work hard. Key players agree on goals for the most part. Goals represent a change on the micro level. Identified objectives are to develop her parenting skills and strengthen the bond with her children, maintain sobriety, and to develop healthier coping skills, develop positive self-esteem.
According to the text, Rational Choice Theory is comprised of two main thoughts, and they are, although people consider and are fully aware of the repercussion of the crimes they are about to commit, they proceed with the act, the second thought is that people will chose to commit a crime if they believe the benefit is greater. (Vito, 2007). In an article titled “Choosing White Color Crimes”, the rational choice theory has always been the acceptable method of interpreting and sustaining programs that help to combat crime (Shover, n.d.). Criminologists, Derek Cornish and Ronald Clark, clarify the two categories of the decision making process, the first one being criminal involvement, and the second one being criminal event.
Situational crime prevention is an idea criminologists use in order to reduce the chances of crime initially taking place. This theory does not aim to punish criminals after the crime has taken place like the criminal justice system does, but however the opposite, it aims to reduce the chances of the crime taking place to start with. Ron Clarke (2005) describes this theory as an approach that aims to reduce the opportunities out there for crime, involving rational choice theory. Clark focuses on three methods within this theory, directing at specific crimes, altering the environment we live in and aiming to reduce the benefits of committing crimes.
Rational Choice Theory - Rational choice theory, as defined by the textbook, is "A perspective on crime causation that holds that criminality is the result of conscious choice. Rational choice theory predicts that individuals will choose to commit crime when the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs of disobeying the law" (Schmalleger 76). It is an economic principle that assumes that individuals always make prudent and logical decisions that provide them with the greatest benefits or satisfaction and that are in their highest self-interest. It should also be noted that most mainstream economic assumptions and theories are based on rational choice theory. According to the lawdictionary.org, rational choice theory "attempts to explain social phenomenon in terms of how self-interested individuals make choices under the influence of their preferences. All parties try to maximize their advantage, and to minimize their disadvantages" (lawdictionary.org). An example of rational choice theory would be a person stealing money from a company that they work for, with the intent of having the benefit of getting rich at no cost. The person believes that he or she will not get caught, thus not having to pay any costs, making it a rational decision or choice in their
1. Identify the dilemma you are discussing and describe the choices the decision maker is facing.
In other words, the kind of choice made is dependent on an individual’s values. According to Margaret McLean, the selection between good or bad is made depending on three ways. In the first case, an individual thinks all that matters are the results. As such, why not lie? The outcomes may be bad, and it will hurt people. In the second perspective, individuals are guided by the rules. Therefore, why not lie? The rules mandate the truth. In the third case, a person chooses not to lie because of his/her values. For instance, they are honest. Therefore, an individual’s decision-making process is guided by the anticipated results, rules, and character traits (McLean,
In regards to rational choice theory, my opinion lies somewhere in between believer and nonbeliever. The research that supports both the theory’s merits and limitations appears to be minimal and lacking true empirical evidence. However, I believe there is reasoning for all we do and all that is done. With that being said, I would have to say that I am a believer of rational choice theory. It is my belief and personal opinion, that even when making choices irrationally, our actions can, to some degree be rationalized.
The rational choice theory comes from the classical theory which is based off of personal choice towards criminal behavior. Criminal behavior under the rational choice theory has been due to the free thinking of society and has always been because of a specific thought process of personal vendettas. For example, a jealous person may feel the need to do something physically illegal like punching another person in the face because the benefit of gratitude is worth the risk of consequence. The example above is part of the rational choice theory and the reason is because that particular person weighed the costs and benefits of their illegal action. Rational choice theory is a vision where crime is a functionality of the decision-making process of the criminal in which they weigh the costs and benefits of an illegal act in society (Siegel, 2011).
Rational choice theory/rational action theory, is a structure used by sociologist and criminologist to enumerate crime and often formally modeling socio-economic behavior.
An employee does an unsatisfactory job on an assigned project. Explain the attribution process that this person's manager will use to form judgments about this employee's job performance.
Making decisions is an important part of our everyday life. Decisions define actions and lead to the achievement of goals. However, these depend on the effectiveness of the decision-making process. An effective decision is free from biases, uncertainties, and is deeply dependent on information and critical thinking. Poor decisions lead to the inability to achieve set objectives and could lead to losses, if finance is a factor. Therefore, it is important to contemplate about quality and ways to achieve it in decision-making, which is the focus of this paper. The purpose is to look into the needs of decision-making, including what one should do and what one should not do.