Liberal vs Conservative Criminological Theories

According to rational choice theory, criminal behavior is believed to be an individual choice.

The most glaring criticism of rational choice theory is the assumption of rationality.

According to the associated reading, criminals are constantly calculating the costs and benefits of their actions.

Conservative criminologists criticize liberal criminologists for blaming society for crime and absolving criminals from responsibility.

Rational choice theory assumes that all humans want to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.

Cultural criminology theory is a traditional theory that aligns with rational choice theory.

According to cultural criminology, emotions are considered as primary causes of criminal behavior.

One of the criticisms of cultural criminology theory is the ease of assessing and characterizing the influence of emotion.

Cultural criminologists believe that understanding crime from the offender's perspective offers insights into their thought processes and motives.

The perception of crime - as seen through the eyes of the offender - in cultural criminology is shaped by their cultural experiences involving societal beliefs about race, social-class, education, individualism, and other factors, indicating a significant influence of cultural background on how crime is perceived.