In the name of love: A narrative analysis of a Chinese single mother's rational and emotional pathways into and out of crime

Abstract

Adopting rational choice theory, this study assesses both rational and emotional aspects in understanding pathways into and out of crime through the narrative analysis of a Chinese female offender living in Hong Kong, China. We found that poverty enmeshed this divorced, single mother in a commitment problem with a moral dilemma entwined with rational and emotional considerations. We argue that emotional themes, including sadness, hope, love, satisfaction, frustration, and faith should be taken into consideration to fully understand women's choices in committing or desisting from crimes. Understanding this single mother's gendered and reasonable emotional expression and incorporating moral considerations into her rationale are pivotal in extending rational choice theory to successful prevention of female crime and the correction and desistance of female offenders.