Economic Deviance: Shoplifting Flashcards
Unlawful taking of property without force or threat of force
Larceny theft
Shoplifting is what type of crime? What subcategory is it included in?
Property crime, larceny theft
Distinguish between “boosters” and “snitches”
Boosters: professional, items for resale - only source of income, good at evading security, tend to be older, more likely to be reported
Snitches: amateur, impulsive, items for personal use, more likely to be caught, tend to be younger, less likely to be reported
Shoplifting is significant for 3 reasons:
- Economic loss
- Widespread
- Incidence very common
Because shoplifting is so _, it is seen as _ _.
Prevalent, less deviant
/ patterns and _ _ can explain the shoplifting “epidemic” at the beginning of 1900s.
- How do the patterns explain it?
- What does “epidemic” refer to?
- What diagnosis emerged around this time?
Production, consumption, opportunity theory
- The home shifted from a place of production to a place of consumption as markets and department stores emerged.
- Many middle-class women caught shoplifting
- “Kleptomania”
How does opportunity theory explain the shoplifting “epidemic” at the beginning of 1900s? (3 components)
- Motivation - high gains and minimal risks
- Absence of capable guardianship - no monitoring
- Suitable/vulnerable target - item to steal
More crime in general is committed by _, but of all crimes committed by _, shoplifting is _ _.
Men, women, most common
What theories can explain the relationship between age and incidence of shoplifting, which is _ in nature.
Inverse, all theories
What is the relationship between race/SES and incidence of shoplifting?
- _ make up the majority of arrests.
- Percentage of _ arrested is disproportionately _ than that of the general population.
Among same SES, there is little difference.
- Whites
- Blacks, higher
Basis of categories/typology of shoplifting is main / behind shoplifting.
- 3 categories:
Cause, motivation
- Individual
- Situational
- Systematic
2 types of situational shoplifting:
What causes each of them?
- Temporary - caused by temporary conditions in one’s immediate environment
- Chronic - caused by chronic conditions in the larger society
Psychological causes: shoplifting is symptomatic of some larger disorder
Individual Shoplifting
Caused by factors that can be attributed to either the immediate environment or the larger societal context
Situational shoplifting
Present in immediate social network, socialized into, almost seen as normal bc it is so prevalent, commonly done with others
Systematic
