Sociological Positivism and the Explanation of Criminality (From Positive Criminology, P 43-55, 1987, Michael R Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi, eds. -- See NCJ-107372)

• NCJ Number: 107375
• Author(s): L E Cohen; K C Land
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper reviews the major contemporary sociological positivistic theories of crime and delinquency, focusing on their causal structures and empirical adequacy, and then proposes a synthesis of the most promising positivistic theory and the routine activity model.

Abstract

The major contemporary positivistic sociological theories of crime causation are the cultural deviance theory, the strain theory, and the social control theory. Cultural deviance theorists view criminal behavior as conformity to a set of subcultural standards that deviate from legal norms, and strain theorists hold that persons with high aspirations but low expectations of achievement have a high probability of engaging in crime and delinquency. Control theorists view crime and delinquency as behavior due to a lack of internal control and, to a lesser extent, external control. Empirical evidence is most consistent with the control theory. None of the theories, however, accounts for significant variance in crime rates in either cross-sectional or longitudinal research. Control and opportunity theories can be combined to produce a more inclusive model for the study of crime. Expectations about the future (deterrence) as a determinant of crime can be added to this model.