Social Theories of Crime
Social Conflict Theory
Kurbin (n.d.) suggested that "that we agree as a community that some behavior is criminal is a key assumption of consensus based theory of crime (3:03). Social conflict theory is based in this idea that there is an unwritten contract with society and culture that prevents certain behaviors from being propagate throughout. Often there is distinct line drawn between us and them in the criminal mind that urges the criminals impulses to participate in criminal behavior. Many times there is a revolutionary or martyr syndrome accompanying this type of behavior as explained in social conflict theory.
Social Disorganization Theory
Social disorganization theory places the emphasis for the root of crime on the neighborhood or local environment. This theory is very applicable to gang and street crime as the neighborhood is often used as an organizing mechanism for certain gangs and criminals to gain power. This theory is unlike social conflict theory in the fact that this theory is very specific for explaining more urban locales and is only really relevant to street crime.
Rational Choice Theory
This is a simple theory that suggests that humans will act in their most rational ways regardless of there being a criminal element involved in that behavior or not. This theory tends to ignore the significance of the imaginary rules of law and place the roots of this behavior at a social level much like social conflict theory and social disorganization theory. Rational choice theory can in fact encompass the other two previously mentioned theories of criminal behavior due to the fact that acting rational may include conflicting with common culture or joining the neighborhood gang to eventually escape the ghetto.
Conclusions
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