Crime is a major problem in the United States therefore, have you ever wondered why people commit crimes? For centuries, scholars have tried to find solutions as crime heightened. The scientific study of crime to make sense of why a person commits a crime is called Criminology. Several scientific theories have been developed within criminology such as psychology, biology, and sociology theories, to explain the cause of criminal activity and establish ways to control and prevent Philosophers such as Cesare Bonesana Marchese de Beccaria, author of On Crimes and Punishment (1764), and Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) composed the creation of Classical School of Criminology, also known as classicism. This set the foundation and framework for
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Sociological theories of crime was created in the 19th century and continues to develop and evolve today. Social structure theories emphasize poverty, lack of education, an absence of marketable skills, and subcultural values as basic causes of criminal actions.* There are three divisions of social structure theories, the first is the social disorganization theory, which helps to answer the question,"Why is there more crime in certain neighborhoods than others? Neighborhoods that are deemed "disorganized" are those that have been in poverty, high unemployment rates, and high residential turnover. For example, it is argued that immigration increases residential instability and racial and ethnic heterogeneity, both of which weakened informal social control, thereby increasing crime (Lee & Martinez, 2002,p,366). Social control theory was developed from the social bonding theory which was created in 1969 by Travis Hirschi. The social control/bonding Theory has four main concepts: attachment, commitment, involvement, and beliefs. The third subsection is the culture conflict theory, sometimes called the cultural deviance theory. This theory describes how crime can arise from the clash of different cultural values within a society. For instance, an argument that arises between individuals of different beliefs resulting in a criminal act such as trespassing and/or vandalism is an example of the culture conflict theory. Other sociological theories are social strain, social learning and social conflict. The social strain theory states there are pressures to achieve socially and culturally set goals. With that being said, without the means to achieve these goals creates a burden which pressures a burden which pressures individuals to committing crime. Social structure theory considers that society affects individuals to
Sociological theories of crime was created in the 19th century and continues to develop and evolve today. Social structure theories emphasize poverty, lack of education, an absence of marketable skills, and subcultural values as basic causes of criminal actions.* There are three divisions of social structure theories, the first is the social disorganization theory, which helps to answer the question,"Why is there more crime in certain neighborhoods than others? Neighborhoods that are deemed "disorganized" are those that have been in poverty, high unemployment rates, and high residential turnover. For example, it is argued that immigration increases residential instability and racial and ethnic heterogeneity, both of which weakened informal social control, thereby increasing crime (Lee & Martinez, 2002,p,366). Social control theory was developed from the social bonding theory which was created in 1969 by Travis Hirschi. The social control/bonding Theory has four main concepts: attachment, commitment, involvement, and beliefs. The third subsection is the culture conflict theory, sometimes called the cultural deviance theory. This theory describes how crime can arise from the clash of different cultural values within a society. For instance, an argument that arises between individuals of different beliefs resulting in a criminal act such as trespassing and/or vandalism is an example of the culture conflict theory. Other sociological theories are social strain, social learning and social conflict. The social strain theory states there are pressures to achieve socially and culturally set goals. With that being said, without the means to achieve these goals creates a burden which pressures a burden which pressures individuals to committing crime. Social structure theory considers that society affects individuals to