Criminological Theory

Abstract

Given the broad compass of the criminal law, and given the variety of different perspectives from which the phenomenon of crime has been addressed, it is little wonder that there are many theories of crime. In this paper, we will be discussing about various criminological theories such as anomie theory, strain theory, institutional anomie theory, subculture theory, Marxist criminology, the classical theory, control theory, labeling theory, and power control theory of delinquency.

Table of Contents

Abstractii

Introduction1

Discussion2

Anomie Theory2

Strain Theory3

Institutional Anomie Theory4

Subculture Theory4

Marxist Criminology5

The Classical Theory6

Control Theory7

Labeling Theory9

Power Control Theory of Delinquency10

Conclusion10

References12

Criminological Theory

Introduction

Criminologists have developed a number of theories or explanations for many crime rate variations. Crime rates are important social indicators that reflect the quality of life in different regions, states, or areas. Additionally, theories that link various social factors to those rates provide considerable insight into the causes of lawbreaking (Adler & William 1995). However, it is well to keep in mind that crime rates are the summary expression of illegal acts of individuals. Much of the time, the precise number of offenders who have carried out the reported offenses is unknown because individual law violators engage in varying numbers of crimes per year. Even so, crime rates summarize the illegal actions of individuals. Accordingly, theories of crime must ultimately deal with the processes by which these specific persons come to exhibit criminal behavior.

Criminology is a field that is very rich in academic imagination. To a level, this variety of theorizing reflects the discipline's irresponsibility and its incapability as of yet to develop a single standard which is so empirically better than its competitors that it earns the devotion of most scholars. Criminology, however, is prepared in a different way. There are many theories or “schools of thought.” To be truthful and precise, criminologists do not agree on why crime occur, thus making it a drawback of the field. However, the richness in thinking within the criminology also is a demonstration of the difficulty of its subject matter.

Discussion

Anomie Theory

Anomie theory's roots are in the work of Durkheim, who used the concept anomie to describe the disruption of regulating norms resulting from rapid social change. Strain theories, including anomie theory, focus on social structural strains, inequalities, and dislocations, which cause crime and delinquency (Menard 1995). Durkheim stressed that societal norms that restrained the aspirations of individuals were important for preventing deviance. However, unrealistically high aspirations would be frustrated by a harsh social reality, leading to adaptations such as suicide, crime, and addiction. Merton adapted Durkheim's notion of anomie by combining this idea with the observation that not only do societal norms affect the likelihood of achieving aspirations, but they also determine to a large degree to what we aspire. In other words, society helps determine the goals that we internalize by defining which of them are legitimate but it also defines the legitimate means of achieving these goals (Rock 2002). American society, for example, defines material comfort as legitimate goals, and taking a well-paid job as a legitimate means of achieving ...