SOC 1500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Human Behavior, Expected Utility Hypothesis, Child Neglect

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 1500
• Professor: Ryan Broll

Document Summary

Societal pressures produce anomie, which can lead to crime. General strain theory: the inability to achieve positively valued goals. Macro-level strain (bigger things happening in society) beyond our control. Similar to merton"s innovators (merton and agnew agree on strain theory: removal (or threat to remove) positively valued stimuli. The removal or the threat to remove positively valued stimuli (i. e. , the loss of a boy/girlfriend, divorce, or separation of parents) Criminal behavior can occur: we are attempting to prevent this loss, replace the positively valued stimuli is, revenge: presentation (or expected presentation) of negative or harmful stimuli. Delinquency might be used to prevent our goals:, stimulant, denaturalize. Men are more likely to respond to strain with crime* Expected utility principle: crime is assumed to be calculated and deliberate. Human behavior including criminal behavior is conscious behavior. More effective for explaining instrumental crimes than expressive crimes.