SOC229 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Modus Operandi, Decision-Making, Desroches Island

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC229
• Professor: Desroches Fred

Document Summary

Module 18 motivation, lifestyle, and theories of crime. Rational choice theory and drug trafficking: decision making processes and the modus operandi (way of doing things) based on rational principles. Less planning: less rational at the retail level. Not as careful: rational choice theory can fit at the retail level, but not to the same degree as higher- level drug traffickers. Higher level drug traffickers are very rational. This is true not many are caught and they usually do get away with it: ratio(cid:374)al (cid:272)hoi(cid:272)e theor(cid:455) (cid:272)a(cid:374)(cid:374)ot e(cid:454)plai(cid:374) a perso(cid:374)"s disposition (mindset, character quality, (cid:862)readi(cid:374)ess(cid:863)) to (cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:373)it (cid:272)ri(cid:373)e. It is important to not overemphasize rationality drug dealers are not always rational. Anomie theory and drug trafficking: anomie is when people want certain goals/financial success, but certain opportunities are blocked. Turn to crime: study of higher level drug traffickers only 8/70 men had financial setbacks that pushed them into drug trafficking. Business dealings: majority of men were not in that situation.