Rational Choice Theory and Motivations to Crime | Lecture notes Sociology

Riya Vaishnav

04/30/2023

Professor Liss

Sociology

Assignment 5: Criminology

1. In what ways might rational choice theory help explain motivations to crime in both

stories? Use at least one piece of supporting evidence in your argumentation and

include in-text citations and works cited. Rational choice theory helps explain

motivations to crime in both stories from stating that criminals are simple humans who

make choices based on a cost-benefit analysis. With Jay Z, he started selling cocaine

because he saw it as a way to make money. In the video, he states, “Sorry we woke up

one day and said we want to be the biggest drug dealers in the world you know we were

we weren't given any opportunities the difference between Bill Gates and you know

Billy G.” (Teaquest, 1:10:29-1:10:35) With Michael Franzese, he could have been in the

mafia to gain power and dominance in society. In the video, it states, “it's that mentality

like some people that's not even part of life just like that why would why would

somebody want to do something like that you need to be involved in a life where to be an

informant know don't give a [ __ ] I don't care they give me a hundred years you know

there's just there are people say but I think I'm not like that no no do” (Tyson,

16:39-16:51)

2. In what ways does rational choice theory fail to explain motivations to crime in both

stories? Use at least one piece of supporting evidence in your argumentation and

include in-text citations and works cited. Rational choice theory fail to explain

motivations to crime in both stories because it does not discuss that people do realize the

consequences of their actions but they still commit crimes. In Jay Z’s experience, he may

have sold cocaine but he was making money so that kept him going. In the video, it

states, “because of the opportunities we wasn't we were in the fourth wasn't afforded

these opportunities so we did what was in front of us yeah and what was in front of us it

was drugs it was everywhere you gotta figure at the time you put the time into context

and of course we made bad decisions I'm not saying every decision I made was great we

16 years old of course we gonna make bad decision it just so happened that our decisions

were life-and-death right you know that that doesn't happen and that's the biggest day

between the suburbs a 16 year old” (Teaquest, 1:10:58-1:11:23) In Michael Franzese’s

situation, he may have joined the mafia for the power even though he knew the risks. In

the video, he states, “part of his many people take the life that well that life thought gave

them honor even lean so that's what he did so something yeah it Mike you know what the

best thing that happened to that life on the street the movie The Godfather yeah I'm

telling you I was I was younger than it was in myself it was in 70s but you know Joe

Colombo was involved in that movie I remember really oh yeah.” (Tyson, 17:19-17:33)

Partial preview of the text

Download Rational Choice Theory and Motivations to Crime and more Lecture notes Sociology in PDF only on Docsity!

Riya Vaishnav 04/30/ Professor Liss Sociology Assignment 5: Criminology

In what ways might rational choice theory help explain motivations to crime in both stories? Use at least one piece of supporting evidence in your argumentation and include in-text citations and works cited. Rational choice theory helps explain motivations to crime in both stories from stating that criminals are simple humans who make choices based on a cost-benefit analysis. With Jay Z, he started selling cocaine because he saw it as a way to make money. In the video, he states, “Sorry we woke up one day and said we want to be the biggest drug dealers in the world you know we were we weren't given any opportunities the difference between Bill Gates and you know Billy G.” (Teaquest, 1:10:29-1:10:35) With Michael Franzese, he could have been in the mafia to gain power and dominance in society. In the video, it states, “it's that mentality like some people that's not even part of life just like that why would why would somebody want to do something like that you need to be involved in a life where to be an informant know don't give a [ __ ] I don't care they give me a hundred years you know there's just there are people say but I think I'm not like that no no do” (Tyson, 16:39-16:51)
In what ways does rational choice theory fail to explain motivations to crime in both stories? Use at least one piece of supporting evidence in your argumentation and include in-text citations and works cited. Rational choice theory fail to explain motivations to crime in both stories because it does not discuss that people do realize the consequences of their actions but they still commit crimes. In Jay Z’s experience, he may have sold cocaine but he was making money so that kept him going. In the video, it states, “because of the opportunities we wasn't we were in the fourth wasn't afforded these opportunities so we did what was in front of us yeah and what was in front of us it was drugs it was everywhere you gotta figure at the time you put the time into context and of course we made bad decisions I'm not saying every decision I made was great we 16 years old of course we gonna make bad decision it just so happened that our decisions were life-and-death right you know that that doesn't happen and that's the biggest day between the suburbs a 16 year old” (Teaquest, 1:10:58-1:11:23) In Michael Franzese’s situation, he may have joined the mafia for the power even though he knew the risks. In the video, he states, “part of his many people take the life that well that life thought gave them honor even lean so that's what he did so something yeah it Mike you know what the best thing that happened to that life on the street the movie The Godfather yeah I'm telling you I was I was younger than it was in myself it was in 70s but you know Joe Colombo was involved in that movie I remember really oh yeah.” (Tyson, 17:19-17:33)

In what ways might strain theory help explain motivations to crime in both stories? Use at least one piece of supporting evidence in your argumentation and include in-text citations and works cited. Hint: for full credit you should include some discussion of innovators (as defined by Merton) and the American Dream. Strain therapy may help explain motivations in crime in both stories by hinting that criminals are driven by the desire to reduce or disappear from strain. In Jay Z’s case, he may have turned to drugs as a way to reduce strain from his life and to escape from poverty. In the video, it states, “People even describe like oh some of these rappers are so ignorant and all they talk about is getting money and hustling I'm like that's all they know now think about how creative they're being with just one they had like one toy look how big they're making it do this making it do that like that and then whereas you get like yourself you get older more successful you learn more things because we can hear in your rhymes now you talk about things that” (Teaquest, 1:12:01-1:12:18) For Michael Franzese, he may have turned to the mafia for a life outside of poverty and wanted power. Merton debated that the USA was built on the American Dream which is a set of principles that Americans were given equality no matter what their gender or ethnicity was. He argued that when people were faced with conflicts like finances, they had major strain in their life. 4. In what ways does strain theory fail to explain motivations to crime in both stories? Use at least one piece of supporting evidence in your argumentation and include in-text citations and works cited. Hint: for full credit you should include some discussion of innovators (as defined by Merton) and the American Dream. Strain theory fails to explain motivations to crime in both stories because it does not explain that people commit crimes even if they experience no strain in their life. Jay Z could be selling cocaine to get more wealthy and make easy money. In the video, it states, “because of the opportunities we wasn't we were in the fourth wasn't afforded these opportunities so we did what was in front of us yeah and what was in front of us it was drugs it was everywhere you gotta figure at the time you put the time into context and of course we made bad decisions I'm not saying every decision I made was great we 16 years old of course we gonna make bad decision it just so happened that our decisions were life-and-death right you know that that doesn't happen and that's the biggest day between the suburbs a 16 year old” (Teaquest, 1:10:58-1:11:23) For Michael Franzese, he may have turned to the mafia to gain power and social class. Merton debated that the USA was built on the American Dream which is a set of principles that Americans were given equality no matter what their gender or ethnicity was. He argued that when people were faced with conflicts like finances, they had major strain in their life.

Rational Choice Theory and Motivations to Crime, Lecture notes of Sociology

Related documents

Partial preview of the text

Download Rational Choice Theory and Motivations to Crime and more Lecture notes Sociology in PDF only on Docsity!