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

An assignment on criminology that discusses the application of rational choice theory in explaining motivations to crime. The author uses two stories, one about Jay Z and the other about Michael Franzese, to illustrate how rational choice theory can both help and fail to explain motivations to crime. in-text citations and works cited to support the arguments presented.

Typology: Lecture notes

2022/2023

Available from 06/19/2023

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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)
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Riya Vaishnav 04/30/ 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)
  1. 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.