Criminology Theories

• Merton's strain theory

  Robert K. Merton argues that society encourages us to subscribe to the goals of material success, but society is unable to provide the legitimate means for us all to achieve such successes, as not everyone can gain qualifications and not everyone can access jobs
• Merton's Strain Theory - Working-class people

  • More likely than others to be denied material benefits
  • Their opportunities are blocked
  • Consequently, they experience feelings of strain and anomie, when they strive for goals of material success, but do not have the opportunities to reach the goals through legitimate means
• Merton's Strain Theory - Responses when people cannot achieve their goals

  • Conform and accept the situation
  • Innovate by adopting non-conventional or criminal ways to gain material success
  • Become ritualistic, where sight of goals is lost
  • Become retreatists and drop out of conventional society
  • Become rebels, who set alternative, opposing goals and values rather than those promoted by society
• Interactionism

  Interactionism refers to how people in society interact with one another.

  Interactionists such as Howard Becker use the labelling theory to explain criminality. They argue that official statistics on crime are socially constructed and they believe that crime is also a social construction. Becker put forward the argument that crime is a subjective concept; agents of social control, such as the police and judges, label certain acts and behaviour as deviant or criminal. Behaviour will then be punished accordingly.
• Right realism

  Considers crime from the perspective of political conservatism, with the standpoint of getting tough on crime
• Right realism

  • Charles Murray is a leading right realist
  • Everyone is tempted to commit crime but it is the amount of social bonds that often prevent us from doing so
  • The development of the 'underclass' such as single parents, where young boys grow up without appropriate role models and crime is a way of proving they are men
• Right Realism - Economic factors, such as poverty or unemployment

  Are not the reason behind rising crime rates
• Right Realism - Individuals are more likely to commit crime

  When the social constraints on their behaviour are weakened
• Right Realism - Crime is linked to inadequate social control
• Left realism

  Left realism suggests that crime lies in the inequalities created by a capitalist society. Left realists believe that both practical measures to reduce crime and a long-term change towards a more equal, caring society are needed. Capitalism encourages levels of consumption but is unable to deliver to all. So some people are motivated by consumerism and materialism and turn to crime to make up the shortfall. But what is needed is gradual social change along with practical solutions to the problem of crime.
• Freud's personality theory

  Freud was unable to progress from the pleasure-seeking id to the reality principle where the ego is dominant. He continued to need instant gratification from his sexual acts.
• Brain damage

  • Freud received brain damage as a result of his motorcycle accident
  • Damage to the pre-frontal cortex area of the brain can impact on a person's ability to control their impulsive behaviour
  • Fred may have been unable to resist the urge for sexual gratification
• Eysenck's personality theory

  According to this theory, criminals are more likely to be extrovert, impulsive and thrill seeking. It could be argued that Leeson was willing to take chances in financial transactions, running the risk of being caught but enjoying the thrill of making money
• Marxism

  Views crime as something being inevitable in a capitalist society, used by the ruling class (bourgeoisie) as a means of social control
• Marxism - If someone does not conform

  They will be punished
• Marxism - Institutions used to encourage conformity

  • Police
  • Justice system
  • Prisons
  • Schools
  • Family
  • Religion
• Marxism - White-collar crimes, which tend to be committed by the more powerful in society, tend to be ignored
• Marxism - Crimes committed by the less powerful, such as street crime, are focused on and are seen as more serious
• Marxism - The working class (proletariat) are heavily policed in the expectation that they will be more criminal, raising the chances of their crimes being detected