Theory can be described in many ways, and most of the times are used to label certain traits, features or characteristics of a particular person, group, or category. According to Miller (2005), “A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts” (para. 1). In the simplest of terms, theories are concepts or more of a collection of concepts about an area of concern or interest which facilitate and give an explanation, prediction, or intervention which is gathered by research and experiments. Theories in criminology help to explain why and how deviant and criminal behaviours occur as they do. This helps to understand and determine factors that contribute a person to engaging …show more content…
Karl Marx acknowledged the theory on conflict and exactly how the situation disturbs society on a macro view. Marx defined the essential basic necessity any person requires to stay alive, that being: food, clothing and shelter etc. Marx claimed that all societies involved conflict, every so often exposed but more usually plunged below the surface of everyday life. However, that was grounded upon vital inequalities and conflicts of interest such as, social classes and wealth. Conflict theory interprets society as a struggle for power between groups engaging in conflict for limited resources. Karl Marx is the founder of conflict theory. Conflict theorists like Marx suggest that there are two general categories of people in industrialized societies: the upper class and the working …show more content…
This can be seen in the criminal justice system to support their claim. The upper class or 1% passes laws designed to benefit themselves. These same laws are detrimental to the working class. Both groups commit acts of deviance, but the system the finically wealthy created defines deviance differently for each group. The criminal justice system judges and punishes each group differently. In addition, the elite can often afford expensive lawyers. Members of the working class generally do not have these same advantages which then usually causses ciaos and deviance within society.
With this being said, looking through a conflict theorist point of view white – collar crimes are easily avoided by finically wealthier and secure individuals. White – collar crimes are usually committed by upper class people or people in position of power whereas street crime is committed by lower class citizens. Like strain theory, these crimes are typically committed by opportunity and strain within a person life. However, those in positions of power tend to abuse their authority and because of their position get away with it rather than someone from a lower socioeconomic
When delving into the various theories under the umbrella of criminology, one must research and gain knowledge about each idea to understand how it stands alone and among all of the theories. These should be compared against each other to determine what similarities they may have, which overlap and strengthen the foundations of understanding criminal behavior. Then they shall be examined for contrasting points, which distinguish and possibly prove weaknesses within the theories. Doing so can help criminologists determine the accuracy and credibility of the theories and help achieve a deeper knowledge of criminals and antisocial behaviors.
Theories are used as explanations of an experiment or study. A theory can be tested and then is used a predictor of something. People in criminal justice use criminological theories to explain why individuals commit crimes and based off of these theories, they can also see try to predict whether people will commit crimes and based off this try to prevent individuals from offending. In the criminal justice work field another set of theories are used called Management Theories. Similar to criminological theories, management theories can also help predict and explain people’s behavior. Management theories help explain behavior in the workplace. They are executed to aid in the expansion of employee output.
White-collar crime is the financially motivated illegal acts that are committed by the middle and upper class through their legitimate business or government activities. This form of crime was first coined by Edwin Sutherland in 1939 as “a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.” (Linden, 2016). Crime has often been associated with the lower class due to economic reasons. However, Sutherland stressed that the Criminal Justice System needed to acknowledge illegal business activity as crime due to the repercussions they caused and the damage they can cause to society (Linden, 2016). Crime was prevalently thought to only be
The social world has provided us with multiple perspectives when it comes to various topics. A theory is a system of ideas intended to explain something based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained. All three views of crime were created by theorists as an attempt to explain the causes of human behaviors. Each theory offers a variety of explanations for the multiple perspectives the world has.
For Marx, the society history of class was a history of class conflict. He observed the successful rise of the bourgeoisie, and the essential of revolutionary violence. He says that the heightened form of class conflict securing the bourgeoisie rights that supported the capitalist economy. Marx believed that the poverty inherent in capitalism were a pre-existing form of class conflict. He assumed those wage laborers are in need to revolt to bring about a more equitable distribution of wealth and political power.
Karl Marx was a German philosopher, born May 5, 1818. He was not a philosophical materialist nor did he advocate mechanical materialism like others who did around the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Marx was a historical materialist. Being so, Marx believed that we are described through history and it has made us who we are. All throughout history the central conflict of the human society has always been defined by “people who have” and “people who don’t have.” These are the underlying problems behind the majority of many conflicts had throughout the world, even today. This is because humans will always try to find a way to distinguish themselves from one another. It is in our nature to. Historical development was driven by the tension between opposites. We categorize things, or people, by their differences so it is put into simple terms and easier to understand. People like things that are as simple as “black” and “white,” but things in the world are almost never as simple as just one or the other. Most things have more complex backgrounds and would b...
... middle of paper ... ... Understanding psychological theories helps criminologists to design appropriate correctional strategies to mitigate crime. Works Cited Eysenck, H.J., & Gudjonsson, G.H. d. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a. a The causes and cures of criminality.
Criminology theories are Conflict Theory which is based upon the view that the fundamental causes of crime are the social and economic forces operating within society. Critical Theory approaches to culture, and esp. to literature, that seeks to confront the social, historical, and ideological forces and structures that produce and constrain it. Labeling Theory is how the self-identity and behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. Life Course Theory focuses on the stage of life that exposure to health promoting or harmful influences occurs and the duration of exposure to these influences. Positivist Theory concerns with positive facts and phenomena, and excluding speculation upon ultimate causes or origins.
White collar crime is viewed as non-violent and treated differently than other types of crimes; some that are even violent in nature. In general, personal and public perception can vary from one individual to another. “A recent survey conducted by the National White Collar Crime Center (NWCCC) confirm that the public considers certain white collar crimes as more serious than some street crimes, according to Drs. Marilyn Price and Donna Norris” (Perri, J.D., CFE, CPA, 2011, p. 23). Even though white collar crimes do not seem a violent as someone that commits murder; there is still major damage done. For example, a fraud victim goes through a lot of hardship. They can be harassed, have their identity stolen and lose everything. This in many cases can be looked at as a severe crime. Valuables taken during a burglary can be replaced easily, but someone’s identity and livelihood cannot be given back. Most white...
According to Marx class is determined by property associations not by revenue or status. It is determined by allocation and utilization, which represent the production and power relations of class. Marx’s differentiate one class from another rooted on two criteria: possession of the means of production and control of the labor power of others. The major class groups are the capitalist also known as bourgeoisie and the workers or proletariat. The capitalist own the means of production and purchase the labor power of others. Proletariat is the laboring lower class. They are the ones who sell their own labor power. Class conflict to possess power over the means of production is the powerful force behind social growth.
Conflict theory could between when there are two or more groups who are experiencing social strain and when that social strain that promotes social changes. The conflict theorists argue that the two groups are competing for limited resources. To be more precise, conflict theory is defined as “groups in society are engaged in continuous power struggle for control of scarce resources” (Kendall 19). This could be seen in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins when majority of people in District 12 die of starvation and the children are forced to take out tesserae to help feed their families (Collins 28). According to Kendall, the conflict theory is mostly derived from Karl Marx and Frederick Engels who wrote The Communist Manifesto, and Max Weber. Marx saw society as two halves, the haves (bourgeoisies) and the have nots (Proletariat) and the conflict between classes was desired in order to encourage social change and ultimately making society a
In the twentieth century, White Collar and Organized Crimes have attracted the attention of the U.S. Criminal Justice System due to the greater cost to society than most normal street crime. Even with the new attention by the Criminal Justice System, both are still pretty unknown to the general public. Although we know it occurs, due to the lack of coverage and information, society does not realize the extent of these crimes or the impact. White Collar and Organized is generally crime committed by someone that is considered respectable and has a high social status. The crimes committed usually consist of fraud, insider trading, bribery, embezzlement, money laundering, identity theft or forgery. One person would not normally commit all of these but likely one or the other.
In order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the criminal behavior theories, the word theory needs to be defined. “A theory is an explanation. It tells why or how things are related to each other. A theory of crime explains why or how a certain thing or certain things are related to criminal behavior.” (Bohn and Vogel)
White collar crime was first defined by an American sociologist from Nebraska, Edwin Sutherland, in 1939. He defined it as “A crime committed by a person of respectability or of high social status in the course of his occupation”. Now days, it is defined as “A crime that is financially motivated non- violent and committed by business or government professionals.” White collar criminals do not use violence to obtain the money but instead they use deceit and concealment, they misuse their power and trust. It is often seen as a less serious crime although we hear about these types of crime in the news all the time. The most common types of white collar crime are embezzlement, tax evasion, money laundering.
The study of the social interactions of society led to some very prominent theories on the social structure of a given society. Karl Marx, who was considered to be the father of conflict theory, claimed that in any society there is a division of social classes, where one group gets and maintains control of the other groups, oftentimes exploiting those of lesser social standing. This consequently leads to a conflict of the social classes in a struggle to gain or maintain power. The names of these distinct social classes have changed over time but their defining characte...