118 week 9
Choice Theories (including
Deterrence and Routine
Activities)
Introduction
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Neo-Classical Criminology
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Resurrection of Classical Criminology
Choice theory
Deterrence theory
Routine Activities Theory
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Focus on crime trends
Cornish and Clarke –
Rational Choice Theory
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Crime is a calculated decision to
benefit the offender (maximize
pleasure and minimize pain)
Cost benefit analysis
Rational choice given the situation
Cornish and Clarke –
Rational Choice Theory
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Three Assumptions
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When calculating expected utility of
behavior the offender contemplates the
probability of punishment
Each crime has its own set of risks and
requires its own set of skills
There is a separate decision making model
for how people get involved initially in crime
Cornish and Clarke –
Rational Choice Theory
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Decision making is a two step process
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Initial involvement model
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Are they willing to become involved in crime
Influenced by previous learning & experience
Criminal event model
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Decide on a particular offense
Influenced by immediate situation
They adopt a crime specific focus (eg. burglary)
Cornish and Clarke –
Rational Choice Theory
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Separates ‘intent’ draws distinction
between deciding to offend and doing the
actual offense
Empirical Evidence
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Formal sanctions influence choice of crime
Criticisms
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Hard to test
Disregards passion, spontaneity
Assumes everyone’s motivated to offend
Cohen and Felson –
Routine Activities Theory
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Convergence in time and space of
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A motivated offender
A suitable target
Absence of a capable guardian
Potentially a theory of victimization not a
theory of offending
Cohen and Felson –
Routine Activities Theory
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RA defined as ‘recurrent and prevalent
activities which provide for basic population
and individual needs, whatever their
biological or cultural origin’
RA may include ‘work, provision of food &
shelter, leisure, sex, learning, childrearing’
RA may occur in home, at work, or in
leisure areas
Cohen and Felson –
Routine Activities Theory
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Wanted to look at how leisure and
work activities affected interactions of
routine activities
Why did crime increase 1947-1974
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Women in the workforce
Cashless society
TVs getting smaller
Irony of iPods
Cohen and Felson –
Routine Activities Theory
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Empirical Evidence
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Generally supportive, but why wouldn’t it
be?
Critique…
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Victim Blaming
Unlimited number of motivated offenders
Where does the motivation come from?
Review
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Name Hirschi’s 4 social bonds
Name Sykes & Matza’s 5 techniques of
neutralization
What is the main gist of Sutherland’s Diff.
Assocn. Theory?
How did Shaw and McKay divide Chicago?
Routine Activities Theory argues that
crimes will occur when what three things
converge in time and space?
Explain Merton’s five modes of adaptation