Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminology - Essay Example In fact, crime is a social construct that helps to identify the cultures values, mores and the acceptable behavior within the society. Mertons theory says that society shapes the way people are to act and appear within certain confines. He says that aspiration is very important to the achievement in people and that society determines how people should aspire to their goals. He suggests that anomie in society creates a link between how people place emphasis on aspirations and the "levels of emphasis" they place on these aspirations (Davis, 2005). Merton says that crime is not a positive aspect of society and that it does not help it. Instead, crime is an example of how poorly a society is organized. When examining these theories it is very easy to see what Merton is talking about when you look at crime in the United States. There are a number of people who aspire to the goal of attaining wealth or some level of comfort. They have prescribed to the need to take care of their homes and families and they have good jobs that support their ends. However, there is a large group of society who does not have access to good jobs or to wealth. They live in poverty or they are homeless. Still others are involved with crime because this is the "easiest way" in their minds to create the money they need for their basic needs or to acquire wealth. They do not prescribe to societys social order but instead make rules of their own. One of the greatest reasons why this happens is because the basic needs have not been met by a society that is more influenced by power and achievement than it is on making sure that all citizens achieve. According to Derkheim (1897): No living being can be happy or even exist unless his needs are sufficiently proportioned to his means. In other words, if his needs require more than can be granted, or even merely something of a different sort, they will be under continual friction and can only function painfully. Movements incapable