Abstract
If crime is to be explained from a sociological perspective, it should be viewed as a product of social organization. The two basic dimensions of social organization are culture and social structure. There are, in turn, two generic causal models of crime in sociology: a cultural model, which explains crime as a product of conformity to cultural or subcultural values, and a structural model, which explains crime as a product of structural discontinuity or disorganization.1 Two contemporary variants of the structural model of crime may also be distinguished: control theory and strain theory. Control theory assumes that crime results from a breakdown in structural controls over behavior. Strain theory assumes that crime results from an anomic imbalance or contradiction between culture and social structure.2
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
