The Dynamics of Change

2018 ◽  
pp. 271-294
Author(s):  
Per-Olof H. Wikstrom ◽  
Kyle Treiber
Keyword(s):  
Action Theory ◽  
Criminal Careers ◽  
Stability And Change ◽  
Dea Model ◽  
Developmental Theories ◽  
Situational Action Theory ◽  
Ecological Action ◽  
Crime Event

This chapter develops and refines the key suppositions of the development ecological action (DEA) model of individual stability and change in crime involvement. First, the chapter discusses some limitations of key developmental theories of crime, arguing that there is a neglect of, and therefore a need for, a stronger focus on the crime event and the criminogenic person–environment interactions that cause acts of, and drives pathways in, crime. The chapter then introduces the basic propositions of situational action theory (SAT) as well as the DEA model. It also explores the DEA model in more depth, explicating the role of psychosocial and socioecological processes in stability and change in people’s crime propensities and criminogenic exposure. Finally, this chapter sums up the key arguments and their implications for the study of criminal careers.

The nature and role of morality in situational action theory

2020 ◽  
pp. 147737082097709
Author(s):  
Jennifer Barton-Crosby
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Action Theory ◽  
Moral Rule ◽  
Personal Morality ◽  
Rule Breaking ◽  
Situational Action Theory ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Perception Of Action

For situational action theory (SAT), morality is key to the definition of crime and the explanation for why and how acts of crime happen: acts of crime are acts of moral rule-breaking and personal morality guides individuals’ perception of moral rule-breaking as an option before controls become relevant. However, the nature and role of morality in SAT can be misread. Within this article I respond to misinterpretations of the theory by elaborating and adding further context to the concept of morality in SAT. I contend that the root of misunderstanding is grounded in alternative assumptions regarding human nature: SAT assumes a fundamentally rule-guided human nature, whereas the prevailing view within criminology is that people are primarily self-interested. In this article I delineate SAT’s assumption of a rule-guided human nature and set out how this assumption informs the definition of crime and personal morality in the theory. I further specify the nature and role of morality in the perception of action alternatives, and in so doing distinguish SAT from theories that view constraint as the measure of morality. Finally, I develop and clarify SAT’s position on the relationship between morality and the law.

22. Character, circumstances, and the causes of crime: towards an analytical criminology

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per-Olof H. Wikström
Keyword(s):  
Action Theory ◽  
Wrong Thing ◽  
Situational Action Theory ◽  
Common Problems ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Causes Of Crime ◽  
The Right ◽  
Crime Causation

This chapter analyses and explains acts of crimes as moral actions (i.e., actions guided by what is the right or wrong thing to do) within an analytical criminology framework. It outlines some common problems of current mainstream criminological theorizing and research, such as the lack of a shared definition of crime, the poor integration of knowledge about the role of people and places in crime causation, the frequent confusion of causes and correlates, and the lack of an adequate action theory, and proposes a more analytical criminology as the remedy. The chapter introduces Situational Action Theory (SAT), a general, dynamic, and mechanism-based theory about crime and its causes, designed to address these problems and provide a foundation for an analytical criminology. It concludes by briefly discussing main implications for the future direction of policy and prevention.

Revisiting the role of self-control in Situational Action Theory

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clemens Kroneberg ◽  
Sonja Schulz
Keyword(s):  
Action Theory ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Comprehensive Account ◽  
Theory Of Crime ◽  
Rule Breaking ◽  
Situational Action Theory ◽  
Crime And Delinquency ◽  
Crime Causation

Wikström’s Situational Action Theory of Crime Causation (SAT) aims at providing a comprehensive account of the action-generating mechanisms that underlie rule-breaking. Paying tribute to the longstanding criminological interest in self-control, SAT also entails a new view of this concept and its role in crime causation. SAT claims that morality is the more fundamental determinant of rule-breaking and that self-control should become relevant only when actors enter a process of deliberation on whether or not to break a rule. Our contribution is twofold: theoretically, we discuss the role of self-control in SAT and derive previously untested implications; empirically, we evaluate these implications based on data from a large German panel study and thereby advance our understanding of when and how self-control matters for crime and delinquency.

Does Moral Identity Matter in Situational Action Theory? Some Evidence of Iranian Fans’ Cyberbullying Perpetration

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-420
Author(s):  
Saeed Kabiri ◽  
Seyyedeh Masoomeh (Shamila) Shadmanfaat ◽  
Kanika Samuels-Wortley ◽  
Owen Gallupe
Keyword(s):  
Moral Identity ◽  
Action Theory ◽  
Property Crime ◽  
Moral Emotions ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Central Position ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Situational Action Theory ◽  
Soccer Fans

Situational action theory (SAT) posits that morality plays a core role in determining whether situations are viewed as suitable for crime. However, little attention has been paid to moral identity, the degree to which a person considers morality to occupy a central position in their view of themselves. Using a convenience sample of Iranian soccer fans ( N = 374), we test both the direct and moderated role of moral identity in explaining cyberbullying, an outcome that differs from most SAT research focusing on violent/property crime. We find that fans with a weaker moral identity tend to engage in more cyberbullying and that moral identity significantly interacts with a number of SAT-derived predictors (moral emotions, self-control, perceptual deterrence, and situational morality) in expected ways.

Stability and Change in Interests: Role of Gender and Ethnicity

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence J. G. Tracey ◽  
Steven B. Robbins ◽  
Paul A. Gore
Keyword(s):  
Stability And Change
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