SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION
> Sociological approaches suggest that crime is shaped by factors
external to the individual: their experiences within the neighbourhood,
the peer group, and the family.
SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION THEORY
• was created by Chicago-based sociologist CLIFFORD R. SHAW (1895-
1957) and HENRY D. MCKAY (1899-1980).
• They used spatial mapping to examine the residential locations of
juveniles referred to court. Shaw and McKay found that patterns of
delinquency were higher in areas characterised by poor housing, poor
health, socio-economic disadvantage and transient populations. This
led them to suggest that crime was a function of neighbourhood
dynamics and not due to individual actors and their actions.
• Shaw and McKay explained these patterns by reference to the
problems that accompanied immigration to Chicago at this time. They
claimed that areas settled by newly arrived immigrants experienced a
breakdown of social norms due to ethnic diversity and competing
cultural traditions. Conventional institutions of social control were
therefore weakened and unable to regulate the behaviour of local
youths.
ANOMIE THEORY
• DAVID EMILE DURKHEIM (1858-1917)- A French sociologist
introduced the term ANOMIE, which means without norms. The rules
of behavior have broken down or become inoperative during periods of
rapid social change or social crisis. It occurs in societies that are
moving forward from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity.
STRAIN THEORY
• American sociologist ROBERT MERTON (1910-2003) drew on this
idea to explain criminality and deviance in the USA. His theory argues
that crime occurs when there is a gap between the cultural goals of a
society (e.g. material wealth, status) and the structural means to
achieve these (e.g. education, employment). This strain between
means and goals results in frustration and resentment, and
encourages some people to use illegitimate or illegal means to secure
success.
GENERAL STRAIN THEORY
• Sociologist ROBERT AGNEW (1992) reformulated that strain theory of
ROBERT MERTON and suggest that criminality is the direct result of
negative affective states. He finds that negative affective states are
produced by a variety of sources of strains, such as:
 strain caused by the failure to achieve positively valued goals
 strain caused by disjunction of expectations and achievements
 removal of positively valued stimuli
 presentation of negative stimuli
RELATIVE DEPRIVATION THEORY
• relative deprivation suggests that crime happens when individuals or
groups see themselves as being unfairly disadvantaged compared to
other individuals or groups who they see as being similar to
themselves. Since the disadvantage is perceived and determined by an
individual, it is a subjective assessment.
This theory was proposed by JUDITH R. BLAU and PETER M. BLAU
(1918-2002)
DELINQUENT SUBCULTURE THEORY
• Status frustration is associated with the work of ALBERT COHEN
(1955), who conducted research into group offending by young, lower-
class men. Cohen argued that lower-class youths could not aspire to
middle-class cultural goals and so, frustrated, they rejected them to
create their own subcultural system of values. In school, for example,
they gain status and respect by meeting the expectations of peers not
teachers, engaging in delinquent activities such as smoking, truanting,
and acting up in class.
DIFFERENTIAL OPPORTUNITY THEORY
• RICHARD CLOWARD and LLOYD OHLIN (1926-2001)) built on these
ideas, pointing to the differential opportunity structures available to
lower-class young people in different neighbourhoods: criminal
(making a living from crime), conflict (territorial violence and gang
fighting) and retreatist (drugs and alcohol).
DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY
• was created by American criminologist EDWIN H. SUTHERLAND
(1883-1950) He suggest that people commit crime by learning in a
social context through their interactions with others and
communication with them.
SOCIAL BOND THEORY
• It is primarily associated with the work of TRAVIS HIRSCHI (1969), an
America social scientist who proposed that people general conform to
social norms due to strong social bonds. Conversely, they engage in
delinquent acts when these bonds are broken or weak. The key
components of social bonds are:
 Attachment: How strong or weak is an individual’s relationship
with others? Do these others expect certain kinds of behaviour
(such as obeying the law) from this individual? The stronger the
attachment and the stronger the expectations, the more likely it
is that the individual will conform.
 Commitment: The more an individual commits his/herself to a
particular lifestyle (for example, being married, being a parent,
having a job), the more he/she has to lose if he/she becomes
involved in crime (and so deviate from the lifestyle).
 Involvement: This component comes down to time – the more
time the individual spends engaging in law abiding behaviour,
the less time he/she has to engage in law breaking behaviour.
 Belief: This relates to upbringing. If an individual has been
brought.
ECONOMIC THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION
>THE ROOT OF CRIME ARE DIVERSE AND A DISCIPLINE LIKE
ECONOMICS, PREDICATED ON RATIONAL BEHAVIOR, MAY BE AT
SOMETHING OF A DISADVANTAGE IN EXPLAINING APHENOMENON
ARGELY VIEWED AS IRRATIONAL.
ECONOMIC MODEL OF CRIMINAL BAHAVIOR: BASIC THEORY
• The economic theory of crime (1968) by GARY S. BECKER
Is a standard model of decision making where individuals choose
between criminal activity and legal activity on the basis of the expected
utility form those act. It is assume that participation in criminal activity
is the result of an optimizing individual responding to incentives.
KARL MARX’S THEORY
• KARL HEINRICH MARX (1818-1883) viewed crime as the product of
law enforcement policies, he also saw connection between criminality
and the inequities found in the capitalist system.
• He states that its development had tured workers into dehumanized
mass who lived an existence that was at the mercy of their capitalist
employers.
FRIEDRICH ENGELS THEORY
•the contribution of FRIEDRICH ENGELS (1820-1895) portray crime as
a function of social demoralization- a collapse of people’s humanity
reflecting a decline in society.
workers are demoralized by the capitalist society, are caught up in the
process that leads to crime and violence.
SOCIAL/POLITICAL CONFLICT THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION
>The social conflict theory which find that society is in a constant state
of internal conflict, as different groups strive to impose their will on
others.
SOCIAL REALITY OF CRIME
• Sociologist RICHARD QUINNEY (1970) embraced a conflict model of
crime who integreted his beliefs about power, society and criminality
into a theory he referred to as the social reality of crime.
• According to him, criminal definitions or the law represents the
interest of those who hold power in society. Where there are conflict
between social groups
LEFT REALISM THEORY
• THEIR EQUATION IS VERY SIMPLE: RELATIVE DEPRIVATION EQUALS
DISCONTENT, DISCONTENT PLUS LACK OF POLITICAL SOLUTION
EQUALS CRIME.
POSTMODERN THEORY
• FOCUSES ON THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF COMMUNICATION AND
LANGUAGE IN LEGAL CODES. IT BELIEVES THAT LANGUAGE IS
VALUE LADEN AND CAN PROMOTE THE SAME SORT OF
INEQUALITIES THAT ARE PRESENT IN THE REST OF THE SOCIAL
STRUCTURE.
INSTITUTIVE-CONSTITUTIVE THEORY
• GREGG BARAK and STUARK HENRY (1996) defines crime as the
application of harm to other. People who are defined as committing
criminal acts are at the same time being made unequal or disrespect.
TWO ASPECT OF CRIME:
1. Crime Repression - occur when members of a group are prevented
from achieving their fullest potential because of racism, sexism and
some other status bias.
2. Crime of Reduction - occurs when the offended party experience a
loss of some quality relative to his/her present standing.
POLITICAL THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION
POLITICAL THEORY
Emphasizes that people usually commit crime because of the
Ideology.
This Theory is more Contradiction between parties or different
Groups of people specially between Politics/ Government and Ordinary
people.
This Theory believes that any type of crime is Political
Consequences.
THIS IS ASSOCIATED BY THE FOLLOWING THEORY AND IDEOLOGY
OF POLITICAL THEORY:
CONSERVATISM
It is a Political and Social Philosophy promoting traditional social
Institution in the content of Cultureand Civilization.
LIBERALISM
It is a Political and Moral Philosophy based on Liberty, consent of
the Government and Equality before the law.
RADICALISM
Denote the Intent to transform or Replace the Fundamental
Principles of Society or Political System often though Social change,
structural change, Revolution change or Radical change.
FORCE THEORY
Is the process of establishing a New Government or Country
through the use of Force.
This process Involves One Group of People Entering into an area
and making everyone else within that Territety Submit to the New
Government and Social System.
SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY
People live togethere in Society in accordance with an
Agreement that establishes Moral and Political Rules of Behavior.
Some People Believe that if we live to According to Social
Contract, we can live Morally by our Own Choice and not beacuse a
Devine being Requires it.
• JEAN- JACQUES ROUSSEAU (1712- 1778)
DEVINE RIGHT THEORY
The right of a Sovereign to rule as set forth by the theory of
Government that holds that a Monarch recieves the right to Rule
directly from God and not from the People.
• JACQUE- BENIGNE BOSSUET (1627- 1704)
SOCIAL CONFLICT THEORIES OF CRIME CAUSATION
Social Conflict Theory was first developed by KARL MARX, it is a
theory that society is in a state of perpetual conflict beacuse of the
competion of limited resources.
Conflict Theory holds that social order is maintained by domination
and power rather that by consensus and confirmity.
According to Conflict Theory, those with wealth and power try to hold
onto by any means possible, chiefly by supresssing the poor and
powerless.
A basic premise of Conflict Theory is that Individuals and groups
within society will work to try to maximize their own wealth and power.
MARX'S VERSION OF CONFLICT THEORY focused on the conflict
between TWO PRIMARY CLASSES.
The Two Classes was identified by Karl Marx as the BOURGEOSIE and
PROLETARIAT.
MARX'S VERSION OF CONFLICT THEORY focused on the conflict
between TWO PRIMARY CLASSES.
The Two Classes was identified by Karl Marx as the BOURGEOSIE and
PROLETARIAT.
The BOURGEOISIE is the group that represented members of the
society who hold the majority of wealth and means.
The PROLETARIAT is the other group or considered as the Lower
Class or Poor.
THESE ARE THE FOUR COMMON THEORY BY KARL MARX THAT IS
RELATED TO CONFLICT THEORY: MARXISM, CAPITALISM,
COMMUNISM AND SOCIALISM
MARXISM THEORY
A social Political and Economic Philosophy of Capitalism on labor,
productivity and Economic Development and argues for a worker
revolution to overtum capitalism in favor of Communism.
CAPTALISM THEORY
An Economic System characterized by private ownership in which
the free market alone controls od production of goods and services.
COMMUNISM THEORY
Is a Political and Economic Ideology that position itself in
opposition to liberal democracy and Capitalism, Advocating instead for
classless system in which the means of production are owned
communally and private property is non- existent or severely curtailed.
SOCIALISM THEORY

Is an Economic and Political System based on collective

ownership of the means of production. In legal production and
distribution decisions are made by the Government in a Socialist
system.

• SOCIAL STRUCTURE THEORY

Suggest peoples places in the Socio economic Criminal. Poor

people are more likely to commit crimes because they are unable to
achieve Monetary or Social Success in any other way. MERLON and
ALBERT COHEN (During 1950's and 1960s)

POWER CONTROL THEORY

Advocated that boys are supervised less than girls and are
encouraged to take more risks. This scenario lessens the perceived
consequences of risk taking by males and in part accounts for the
large gender gap in delinquency.

RADICAL THEORY

shows the relationship between crime and law by which the

affluent community in the society use their power in relation to the law
in order to rule over the poor or less fortunate section of the society.

The theory was pioneered by Justus von Liebig, Friedrich Wöhler and
Auguste Laurent around 1830.