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Employment and Crime - A Review of Theories and Research

NCJ Number
81540
Author(s)
J W Thompson; M Sviridoff; J E McElroy; R McGahey; O Rodriguez
Date Published
1981
Length
227 pages
Annotation
The study reviews and analyzes literature on employment-crime relationships from the perspectives of economics, sociology, anthropology, and manpower program evaluations.
Abstract
The review of economic literature focuses on two competing explanations: the economic model developed by neoclassical economists and the more structural approach of segmented labor market (SLM) theorists. The economic utility model of crime postulates that offenders choose crime after assessing the benefits and costs of participating in various activities (leisure, labor, illegal activities). Thus, crime is seen as a kind of occupation. The human capital theory puts crime in a labor market perspective in which success is the product of numerous economically oriented decisions by individuals seeking to enhance the lifetime returns. A blend of these theories sees crime concentrated among the poor because it is their best income generator. In contrast, segmented labor market theorists argue that noneconomic factors (historical and institutional influences) help shape labor success. These theories describe a dual economy, with primary and secondary labor markets, in which the disadvantaged tend to be limited to the secondary market with low wages and little opportunity to advance. Sociological theories, on the other hand, focus on family, maturation, and subculture factors, and such phenomena as peer group influences, role models, family formation in mid-twenties, and offenders' aging-out of criminal behavior patterns in their thirties. Opportunity theory emphasizes the role of social structure and cultural factors within concrete community settings in determining the amount of legitimate and illegitimate opportunities available to youth. Finally, impact evaluations assess results with participants in experimental and control groups so that outcomes can be related to program impact. A review of manpower programs indicates that the human capital model dominates in program settings. More research is needed on the types of employment offered in program settings and on the larger social, social-psychological, and economic contexts within which programs operate. A bibliography of about 130 references and notes are supplied.