Question

Due to coronavirus pandemic, some argued that crimes against property ( such as petty theft and break ins) may decline due to social distancing. Some also argued that economic and white collar crimes ( hoarding, price gouging, insider stock trading, government corruption) may increase following the pandemic.

Question: If you were to adopt a theory of deviance to make these two arguments, which one would you choose ( anomie, conflict, interactionist, differential association)? Why do you think that theory best explains these two scenarios. Make your case.  

2 paragraphs

Answer 1

Answer:

Differential association is theory which can explains these two scenarios:

Differential association theory explains that criminal behaviour is learned by interacting with other people's. Due to coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, people's are maintaining distance from other, it will decline interaction between two or more people's, so one cannot get influenced or motivated by other for conducting crimes. Hence, crimes against property ( such as petty theft and break ins) will decline.

White collar crimes ( hoarding, price gouging, insider stock trading, government corruption) may increase following the pandemic because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law. Ie. People can become criminal who can violate the law, they wish to achieve what they wish to, because in such pandemic situations, most cities of a country get lockdown, investigating authorities works at low efficiency, which would leads to less accountability. So less accountability leads to more crimes.