Preview

Emile Durkeim, rational choice theory, Sykes and Matza

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
635 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Emile Durkeim, rational choice theory, Sykes and Matza
Chelsea Tirado
Professor Lay
Intro To Criminal Justice 4:30-5:45
1. Emile Durkeim believed that deviance and or crime was a normal thing to do. He believed it to be a second nature. According to the textbook, he first noted that all human societies have crime, even if there is differences in terms of what acts are criminalized. He also saw that crime would not occur only if every single being in society agreed not to commit a bad act. This would not work because of all the human diversity in the world. Kai Erickson believes that deviant acts are considered along a norm that was violated. One function of deviance is to maintain control in socities. According to the textbook, Erickson states that each deviant act, the community has an opportunity to reflect on deviance and decide whether the boundaries of acceptable behavior should be strengthened, kept the same, or relaxed. Erickson and Durkheim’s views are both similar and different. Erickson’s view has more of a psychology base, meanwhile Durkheim’s view is a bit more straightforward.
2. According to the textbook, the rational choice theory is defined as an explanation for crime suggesting that offenders use a strategic thinking process to evaluate the potential rewards and risks from committing a crime and make their decision accordingly about whether or not to commit the crime. It is a modern version of classical criminology using free will as a philosophical base. In shorter words, when a criminal commits a crime, they have a decision process that goes through their head of both how to commit the crime, and the consequences if caught. When a criminal goes through the rational choice, they may also be deterred from committing the crime all together. According to the textbook, the routine activities theory is defined as a theory that views crime and victimization as a function of peoples everyday behavior, habits, lifestyle, living conditions, and social interactions. This theory suggests that crime occurs

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Durkheim argued that a certain amount of crime was ‘healthy’ for society and that it is deviant behaviour that provided a catalyst for social change. He said that crime and deviance are functional because the ritual of punishment is an expressive experience that serves to bind together members of a social group and establishment a sense of community; also known as re-affirming boundaries as the resulting media coverage publicly reaffirms the existing values. They are useful in introducing necessary changes and preparing people for change – as Durkheim argues all social change begins with some form of deviance; certain crimes when prosecuted illicit public sympathy and affect change in legislation policies – Kiranjit Ahluwalia, Rosa Parks. Durkheim also put forward social cohesion, this is when certain horrific crimes are committed the entire community are drawn together in shared outrage, such as September 11th Twin Towers, often resulting in public accepting legislative changes which severely impact upon out civil liberties. However Durkheim also seen negatives aspects of Crime and Deviance named ‘Anomie’ the point when crimes becomes dysfunctional. This is a condition characterized by the breakdown of norms governing social interaction. Durkheim argues that people can only be happy when their wants are commensurate to their means. He thought that humans are basically selfish in nature and if left to their own devices would in order to satisfy their own needs, commit crime if they could get away with it. A state of anomie would therefore occur where there are insufficient social controls to ensure conformity from individuals. He argued that this would normally occur in periods of great social change or stress, where the collective conscience may be weakened.…

    • 922 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Functionalist approach towards crime & deviance is seen as a top down approach as it looks at society as a whole, stating that criminal behaviour is caused by society itself except from being caused through an individual’s biology & psychology. Durkheim sees deviance as inevitable also being necessary for our society, however other perspectives such as Marxist & Feminist may state otherwise.…

    • 550 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lifestyles and motivating factors are involved in the nature of a crime when it comes to choice theories.…

    • 263 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Durkheim looks at how crime and deviance is inevitable and needed in society as it performs two important positive functions: boundary maintenance and adaptation and change, he says that boundary maintenance is when society reacts to crime and there is social cohesion, and this leads to society condemning the criminal and the punishment given by the social agencies is a way of reaffirming societies shared rules and reinforce social solidarity. The media portrays the court case and the punishment; this acts a way of informing members of society and discourages others from rule breaking. Adaptation and change for Durkheim is when an individual has an idea or belief which is seen to be deviant by rest of the members of society, they fight and challenge the existing norms and values, in time there values may give way to a new culture and morality and not seen as deviant anymore such as cohabiting couples would be seen as deviant due to the couples not been married but in current times it is not deviant as it is more popular in society. These changes in values and in society allow society to progress and evolve. Furthermore Durkheim acknowledges that crime and deviance are inevitable because not everyone is socialized in the same way with the same norms and values. Functionalism is useful as it…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In his first chapter, Erikson gives regard to a foremost leader in sociology; Emile Durkheim. As he notes, crime is really a natural kind of social activity. If crime is a natural part of society, there is definitely an indication that it is necessary, much like Darwin would argue that survival of the fittest is pertinent to the continuation of a species. Erikson claims that non-deviants come together in a phenomenal way to express outrage over deviants, therefore solidifying a tighter bond between eachother. This sense of mutuality, Erikson further explains, reiterates awareness to the common goals of the social organization at stake. In his analysis of “abnormal behavior”, deviance is defined as conduct which the people of a group consider so dangerous or embarrassing that they bring special sanctions against those persons. Furthermore, Erikson gives the title of “community” to this form of social unit.…

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    sociology

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages

    3- State four ways in which, according to Emile Durkheim, deviance is functional for society as a whole.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Deviance In Sociology

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Durkheim explains that crime in society display to people the difference between right and wrong, and what acts are breaking social-norms. Durkheim also stated that crime encourage group against group, in other words, the good against the bad. As an example in terrorist attacks, the crime of terrorism separates society from the good individuals against the bad people (terrorists) which also has an effect in having them punished and looked down upon. Another theory Durkheim has explained is the fact of being deviant and going against society to reach out for a change, this may be things such as protests. Durkheim has also said that minor law breaking and being deviant every now and then in our lives reduces stress and anger and helps us to lead better and healthier lives. Durkheim is not saying that crime is good, but rather that is serves good in society. Durkheim’s theory is somewhat about a normative theory but mainly it comes from the labeling perspective. The normative theory applies in the way that the social norms provide a guide for what is normal in society and how individuals should act, and why they get broken in society. The labeling perspective is what helps the society regarding crime; the labeling perspective focuses on the social audience and how they react to the crime. Many of Durkheim’s theories relate exactly to this, how crime shows…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Annotated Outline

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages

    3. Cullen, F. T. & Agnew, R. (2003). Reviving Classical Theory: Deterrence, Rational Choice, and Routine Activities Theories. In F.T. Cullen & R. Agnew (Eds.), Criminological Theory: Past to Present (Essential readings) (2nd Ed.) (p. 263). Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing.…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The rational choice model sustains that offenders choose crime from other possible courses of action when the reward is in their self-interest. On the other hand, cognitive psychologists, economists and professionals from the criminological mainstream define crime as a choice; they have the assumption that “the decision to commit a criminal act springs from the offender’s assessment of its anticipated net utilities”.…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Different choice theories and models exist that relate to crime. Some of the choice theories that mention in the book Criminal Justice Today an introductory text for the 21st Century, 10th edition are as followed: Choice theory, the classical school, biological theory, psychological theory, and the labeling theory. Each has its own way to explain how and why a person commits a crime. Two models in the text are the crime controlled model and the due process model.…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Choice and Trait Theory

    • 1885 Words
    • 8 Pages

    criminal in aspects to the crime. So the choice theory is that the criminals choose to…

    • 1885 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Common crime models are the neoclassical perspective is that people make their own decision to break the law without any influence. Rational choice theory supports one makes a choice to benefit from criminal activity; outweighing the penalty. Biological theories are based on ones inherent tendencies. Psychological theories lean toward mental illness or chemical imbalance that may cause one to commit a crime. Routine activities theory attribute ones lifestyle to their criminal activity. Social standing as well as indifference to law and social welfare is also attributing theories to understanding the criminal mind.…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Although Durkheim’s theory is valid, some criticisms are found. He proposed that crime promotes solidarity; however, this is not always the case, as sometimes crime can have the opposite effect. For example; state crime. Durkheim also believed that crime is functional for society as a whole; however, crime might not be functional to everyone. For example, the victim himself. Durkheim proposed that a certain amount of deviance in society is beneficial, but too much is damaging, however, he never indicated how much is enough. The main criticism is that Durkheim never explained…

    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The rational choice perspective has a six core concepts and four decision making models: criminal behavior is purposive, criminal behavior is rational, criminal decision-making is crime-specific, criminal choices fall into two board groups: ’involvement’ and ‘event’ decisions, there are separate stages of involvement, criminal events unfold in a sequence of stages and decisions(Cornish and Clark). Criminal behavior is purposive when a person decided to commit an offense just to satisfy their needs and wants. Criminal behavior is rational when an individual commit an offense because of the benefits that might get despite how risky is their action just to achieve that goal. Criminal decision making is crime specific, it’s because each individual…

    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In conclusion, Routine Activities Theory is the idea that crimes only occur when three elements are present: motivated offender, suitable targets, and absence of lack of capable guardianship. When these three elements come together in place and time, the chance of a criminal event occurring is greatly…

    • 1020 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics