Conflict criminology, relative deprivation, and crime causation theories

¶ … Crime's Ramifications Clearly

Essentially, conflict criminology is the theory that crime is virtually inevitable in a capitalist society. Because there needs to be have-nots in order for there to be those considered as haves, the have nots will inevitably commit crime to make up for their disenfranchisement, hunger, lack of clothing, etc. This theory contributes to crime in today's society because it is largely a capitalist one, with wide disparities between those that have and those who have not. Relative deprivation and a stratified society contribute to crime and delinquency in certain ways. Relative deprivation is feeling that one has lesser than others in a relevant viewpoint. Therefore, people would commit crimes to have the sorts of things that others have. A stratified society reinforces this sort of deprivation, because it pronounces differences between the wealthy and the poor. The Marxist perspective of crime causation and conflict criminology reinforce the concepts of relative deprivation and a stratified society because they believe that such a difference in classes of people is an inherent component of crime.

WEEK 3 DISCUSSION 2

The concept of reintegrative shaming is an intriguing one. It is largely based on the belief that an informal means of shaming someone who commits a crime might deter that person from committing additional crimes (Boston, 2016). It could certainly provide a degree of utility in a more formal legal system such as that found within the United States. It could provide value by having victims of crime actually be required to learn--firsthand -- the effects of that crime on their victims. For instance, someone who breaks into a car to steal a stereo could be punished not only with conventional punitive measures, but also hearing about how much money the victim had to spend to repair the car, to buy another stereo, etc. These descriptions could allow the criminal to see he is more like the victim.

WEEK 6 DISCUSSION

White collar crime is usually non-violent and motivated by acts of greed. It is a manipulation of social or even corporate power to benefit a few individuals. It almost always occurs in jobs in professional settings where people make significant money. Economic crime is one type of white collar crime. It is the variety of illegal acts made by those seeking monetary advantage. The typical white collar crime offender is a corporate employer who manipulates his company for his own advantage while exploiting others. Enterprise crimes are those that exploit the advantages of the free market. A good example of this sort of crime is ponzi schemes.