NCJ Number
102287
Date Published
1986
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This historical review of sociological thinking about crime traces the checkered career of the rational choice perspective and discusses reasons for its persistent failure to be granted status as a serious, testable, or even reasonable theory about human behavior.
Abstract
The author ascribes this situation to the irreconcilable conflict of basic assumptions about human nature that underlies criminological theorizing between those viewing humans as social animals and those perceiving them as self-seeking. Recognizing the common ground between social control and rational choice theories, the paper proposes a division of labor in which social control perspectives provide a general theory of criminality and rational choice provides a theory about specific criminal events. In this scheme, social control theory would address factors influencing the degree of basic criminality, whereas the rational choice perspective would concentrate on decisions relating to involvement in specific crimes and commission of the crime itself. Benefits of this approach are discussed. 15 references. (Editor abstract modified)