NCJ Number
82792
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 28 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1982) Pages: 233-246
Date Published
1982
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Most schools of criminological theory do not depict persistent involvement in property crime as rational economic activity similar to other more conventional income-producing endeavors. Yet, the notion of earning one's living by illicit means frequently appears in the criminological literature, notably in discussions of 'professional criminality.'
Abstract
This paper presents a synthesis of ideas drawn from criminological theory, economics, and the sociology of occupations in an attempt to generate an alternative explanation of crime as work; this alternative view is termed the 'rationalistic opportunity perspective.' (Author abstract)