Sociology 2266A/B Lecture Notes - Bounded Rationality, Neighborhood Watch, Rationality

• School: Western University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: Sociology 2266A/B
• Professor: Stacy Hallman

Document Summary

List of topics: the economic perspective on crime, cornish & clarke"s crime as a rational choice , can rational choice explain violence, pure rationality vs. bounded rationality, deterrence studies, criticisms and limitations. The economic perspective on crime: economics: the science of incentives, economic theory is useful to study any kind of behaviours, including seemingly. Irrational behaviours (e. g. selection of sexual partners, drug addiction, suicide). For example, if the price of cocaine goes down, some people will use more, but not everyone will become a cocaine user. Incentives are not the same for everyone: similarly rational choice theory implies that people behave rationally on average, not that everybody behave rationally all the time, does not need to explain everything 100% of the time. The economic perspective on crime: incentives for non-criminal activities. I may not be a saint but i do not commit crime and am a moral person. Costs: boring everyday routine, requires discipline and sacrifice.