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The effects of shoplifting on society
Two criminological theories
Theories on crime causation
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Recommended: The effects of shoplifting on society
Did you know that in 2014, shoplifting and worker’s theft cost the retail industry a loss of thirty-two billion dollars (Wahba, 2015)? According Wahba “a common misperception about shoplifting is that retailers can ‘afford’ the loss of a candy bar or a pair of jeans” (2015). This type of reasoning certainly does make more sense when explained through the context of a criminological theory. For example according to the Rational Choice theory individuals weigh the costs and benefits associated with a criminal and or deviant act and then make a conscious choice. Other criminological theories explain criminal and deviant behavior using a biological, psychological, social, conflict, or multifactor component. Taking that into consideration in this …show more content…
Meanwhile a Developmental theorist would most likely argue that everyone has the potential for shoplifting considering that the propensity for crime is present in all but more prominent in some, and that a higher propensity for crime coupled with negative social experiences is what gives rise to crime. From the get go one can notice that the causes of crimes for both of these theories differ greatly. At the core of the Social Conflict theory is discord and between an upper and lower class the haves and the have not’s. Meanwhile at the core of the developmental theory are personal characteristics and social experiences. Besides the causes of crimes the theories differ in other less visible aspects like the focus, attitudes and solutions to criminal and deviant …show more content…
The entire theory and sub theories focus on how the social conflict between the upper and lower class has given rise to crime. Meanwhile the Developmental theory is multidimensional since it has more layers and depth to it. The Developmental theory looks at the onset, the continuity, and the termination of a criminal career. The Developmental theory also resembles the game snakes and ladders in that both represent a life journey where the upward progression is complicated by ladders (virtues) and snakes (vices). All in all the morality of the game and that of the Developmental theory is that snakes and ladders rob a player of the chance to take their time and enjoy the game (journey). Another difference aside from the focus is the attitude that both theories undertake. With the Social Conflict theory you get a pessimistic and resign feeling, which makes things seem either black or white with nothing in-between. Individuals either belong to the wealthy or poor. And have to ultimately acknowledge that, “those who hold power will create laws that benefit themselves and keep rivals in check” (p.200). That is why Social Conflict theorist argue that “true crime” is the one done by those in power not by helpless whose crimes receive harsher sanctions. Meanwhile the Developmental theory gives an uncertain attitude in that the propensity for crimes remains fairly constant while the opportunity to commit crimes
First and foremost, the theory states that criminal behavior is learned, meaning that the behaviors of an individual are influenced and shaped by those they associate with (Clinard & Meier, 2015). The primary reference point here is the nuclear family. Parents teach their children how to walk and talk, who grow up with siblings or in some cases, elderly relatives. With good reason, it is widely held that these interactions create the foundation of the individual’s conception of societal norms and values. That being said, if the individual is capable of assessing proper behavior in society, they are also capable of learning what is considered
Walmart can be studied using structure functional theory and social conflict theories. Social functional theory is the relationships among parts of society and how these parts are functional(have beneficial consequences) or dysfunctional (have negative consequences. Most Americans today love to shop at Walmart because they continue to give consumers the best prices on over 120,000 products and are one stop shopping.
High crime rates are an ongoing issue through the United States, however the motivation and the cause of crime has yet to be entirely identified. Ronald Akers would say that criminality is a behavior that is learned based on what an individual sees and observes others doing. When an individual commits a crime, he or she is acting on impulse based on actions that they have seen others engage in. Initially during childhood, individuals learn actions and behavior by watching and listening to others, and out of impulse they mimic the behavior that is observed. Theorist Ronald Akers extended Sutherland’s differential association theory with a modern viewpoint known as the social learning theory. The social learning theory states that individuals commit crime through their association with or exposure to others. According to Akers, people learn how to be offenders based on their observations around them and their association with peers. Theorist Akers states that for one, “people can become involved in crime through imitation—that is by modeling criminal conduct. Second, and most significant, Akers contended that definition and imitation are most instrumental in determining initial forays into crime” (Lilly, Cullen, and Ball 2011:57). Although Akers’ theory has been linked to juvenile delinquency in the past, it has also been tested as a possible cause of crime overall. Individuals learn from observation that criminal behavior is justifiable in certain circumstances. In connection with juvenile delinquency and crime, peers and intimate groups have the most effect on individuals when associated with criminal behavior. One is more likely to mimic the behavior of someone who they have close ties with, whether the behavior is justifiable or...
According to the conflict theory, crime is the result of inequality. The conflict theory pulls elements of Marxist, which argues that deviance is the response to inequalities of capitalist system not from factors biology, personality and labels. They believed that crime is the result of unequal power between the working class and the upper class, which hold the privileged position. It is also important to pay attention to race and gender in this perspective, where they are seen as an enduring struggles in society. Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum and Carr states that “men are more likely than women, for example, to commit crimes; the young are more often than older people.”(173). In society, women are more likely to commit crime that are domestic and men are more to commit nondomestic crime. This result in men having higher rate of crime than women. Furthermore, there is also crime which is committed by the elite power rather than the poor. Crimes such as white collar crime and corporate
Criminal behavior is adapted through exuded actions of significant others (Schram & Tibbetts, 2014, p.217). Criminals are not born, they are created. Both nonverbal and verbal communication is pivotal within interaction that influences criminal behavior, along with personal groups. Being that adolescents are easily molded, it is very common that individuals can easily be coerced into participating in deviant activities. If individuals see the benefits of their peers stealing without consequences or repercussions, would it be surprising if they began to steal as well? They are persuaded in the direction of motives that seem favorable CITE 4. These principles also correlate with the crime of murder. If the media broadcasts countless stories of people who commit murder with the justification of self-defense, it is logical to assume that individuals will begin to use that claim. Since the George Zimmerman case surfaced, there have been countless killings of unarmed minority teenage
An integrated theory is a combination of 2 or 3 theories that offers many explanations on why crime is occurring, compared to a traditional criminal theory that just focus on one type of aspect (Lilly et al.2010). The purpose of integrated theories is to help explain many aspects into what causes criminal behavior and why one becomes delinquent. From this an argument arises can integrated theories be used to explain all criminal behavior. Integrated theories are successful in explaining certain aspects of crime on what causes one to become deviant; however one theory alone cannot explain why an individual engages in crime. This paper will examine three integrated theories and look in-depth how these theories can explain different aspects on why criminal behavior occurs and the weakness of each theory. The three integrated theories that will be discussed in this paper are Cloward and Ohlin Differential Opportunity theory, Robert Agnew General Strain theory, and lastly Travis Hirschi’s Social Bond theory.
The objective of this paper is to provide insight into Rational Choice Theory. This theory, highly relied upon by many disciplines, is also used to calculate and determine crime and criminal behavior. Through definition, examples and techniques utilized by criminologists, the reader will have a better understanding of the subject. By definition, criminology is the study of crime, criminal behavior, and how it pertains to the law. Criminology is considered a scientific technique.
This theory however as some have argued has emerged from social disorganisation theory, which sees the causes of crime as a matter of macro level disadvantage. Macro level disadvantage are the following: low socioeconomic status, ethnic or racial heterogeneity, these things they believe are the reasons for crime due to the knock on effect these factors have on the community network and schools. Consequently, if th...
Rational Choice Theory is the belief that man is a reasonable actor who decides means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes rational choices. Routine activity theory provides a simple and powerful insight into the causes of crime problems. At its heart is the idea that in the absence of effective controls, offenders will prey upon attractive targets. Social Control Theory gives an explanation for how behavior conforms to that which is generally expected in society. Social disorganization theory explains the ecological differences in levels of crime based on structural and cultural factors shaping the nature of the social order across communities. This approach alters the sociological studies on which is any of two or more random variables exhibiting correlated variation of urban growth to examine the concentration and stability of rates of criminal behavior. Strain Theory. Conflict theory explains the belief that individuals choose to commit a crime, which many po...
... up information about crime and it is truly sad to think about. Undeniably, crime is all around us, everywhere we go. There is always someone out there committing crime. “Deviance” is not inherent in people, it is a process in which you learn. Yet through many series of socialization, such as parents, friends, class, gender, an individual or group can become “deviant”. The interactionist theories the best sociological explanation due to the fact that it can alter people values and perception in many ways. For instance, supervision of the so called “street” parents, have a huge effect on their children’s development. However, being labeled as a criminal by the society has made people living in the so called “streets” to accept this label as a criminal and obey and commit crime. This semester has enabled me to better understand on how crime is formed and how it works.
... Crime in the Life Course. Retrieved from http://criminology.fsu.edu/center/jjeep/pdf/annual2003/chapter7ar03.pdf Moffitt, T. E. (1993). A Developmental Taxonomy. Retrieved from http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/ewaters/552-04/slidsets/brian_mcfarland_aggression/moffitt_aggression.pdf Siegel, L. J. (2000).
The rational choice perspective draws heavily on classical theory and economic theories of crime. Theories which argue that crimes are broadly the result of rational choices based on analyses of anticipated cost and benefits. Simply meaning people engage in criminal acts in an effort to increase their benefits and decrease their cost. This rational choice process transpires in two major stages. Which is when the individual is willing to become involved in crimes to satisfy their needs.
After reading through the class materials, social structure theories focus on the why question for the different classes that most likely causes a criminal act. “[S]ocial structure theories focused on why lower-class individuals are more likely to commit crime than middle-and upper-class” (Taylor, 2015). However, social structure theories started to shift not only lower-class people but start to explain criminal behavior with all social classes, which according to the book it states it as the “general strain theory” (Taylor, 2015). The major strain theory from the book focuses on Robert Merton’s strain theory, which he believes that the reason people commit a crime can be due to the inability to access education and getting a good job which
Realistic Conflict Theory As one of the oldest social psychology theories, the Realistic Conflict Theory deals with the conflict and hostility that is projected to arise between individuals or groups competing over the same limited resources. Therefore, as a resource, opportunity, or even goal, becomes harder to obtain, the amount of aggression is projected to increase as well. This theory is not only visible in many everyday situations, but it also establishes a basis for which discrimination and prejudice can be partly explained. The initial study of this theory was conducted in a three-step experiment.
Conflict theory is a theory that claims society is in a state of everlasting conflict due to competition for limited resources. Conflict theory holds that social order is preserved by domination and authority, rather than harmony and conformity. According to conflict theory, those with fortune and power try to hold on to it by any means possible, primarily by suppressing the underprivileged and powerless. Conflict theory also credits most of the fundamental developments in human history, such as democracy and civil rights, to attempt to control the common people rather than to a desire for social order. Conflict theory proposes that each individual or group struggles to attain the maximum benefit. This causes society to change constantly in response to social inequality and social conflict.