Personal Criminological Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Criminological Theory - Essay Example Trouble arises when people allow these urges to stray beyond the bounds set by a society’s laws. As indicated in Reader’s Digest’s ABC’s of the Human Mind (1990, 48) â€Å"most criminologists today see crime arising mainly from environmental conditions, such as urban pressures, poverty, and a poor home life†. In this regard, the essay is written with the objective of proffering a description of one’s personal criminology theory; specifically addressing the following concerns, to wit: (1) to provide an explanation as to the occurrence of crime and why people commit crime; (2) to identify the variables that would be considered; (3) to identify assumptions on which one’s theory is based; and (4) to present the methodologies used to evaluate it. One’s personal theory on the rationale for the commission of crime is based on Williams McShane’s (2008) discussion of a good theory, stating that it is â€Å"is logically constructed, is based on the evidence at hand, and is supported by subsequent research† (7). Crime is properly understood as part of the broader phenomenon of deviance. To understand the rationale for the occurrence of crime and criminal behavior, per se; as well as the rates of crime, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of conformity and deviation, including the processes of social disorganization. It is therefore, one’s personal contention that crime is a product of societal disequilibrium. As indicated by Broom & Selznick (1977), â€Å"the problems that arise in the area of law and morals bring home the lesson that crime is a social product, not a natural phenomenon. It is society that decides what shall be considered a crime and therefore subject to police surveillance and c ontrol† (422). informal social controls break down and criminal cultures emerge. They lack collective efficacy to fight crime and disorder† (Shaw & McKay, Sampson, Bursik & Grasmick cited from Cullen & Agnew, 2002, par. 4). The