Assignment:
Please address the following statement in a 4 to 6 page paper. Be sure to provide support or evidence that will enhance and empirically prove your response. Academic criminal justice articles or real-life criminal justice findings that are found in journals or other academic sources must be used in supporting your answers. Please use APA format for all cited sources, including your reference page.
Describe the following sociological theories of crime listed, and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. Pick someone who has recently been convicted of a crime, and discuss which of these theories would have the most relevance in explaining the criminal actions of this offender. Provide examples and academic evidence to accentuate and support your answer on why it is most relevant. The sociological theories are as follows:
- social control theory
- strain theory
- differential association theory
- neutralization theory
Please submit your assignment.
For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.
Objective:
1. Describe the various schools of criminology
2. Explain the various theories of crime causation
3. Recognize crime typologies, trends, and patterns of criminal behaviors as associated with specific criminal acts
Over the past 100 years, two of the most important philosophies in criminology have been positivist and rational choice. Rational choice theory in criminal justice is the philosophy that every human is a rational actor who makes a decision between what is deviant and what is good. The choice is one made freely and with an understanding of the consequences.
Positivist philosophy in criminal justice brings up the issue of whether humans have an intrinsic evil inside their being that forces them toward decisions on criminal behavior.
Please post an answer to the following questions. Support your answers with academic or real life criminal justice examples to accentuate your point. The questions are as follows:
1. Which of the two philosophies (rational choice or positivism) do you believe explains criminal behavior in a much more complete manner? Why?
2. In your opinion, do you think that police departments prefer a certain philosophy between these two? Why?
In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board, and comment on two other postings. You will be graded on the quality of your postings.