Essay on Poverty and Crime: Sociological and Economic Analysis

This essay undertakes an in-depth analysis of the intricate relationship between poverty and crime, examining it through the lenses of sociology and economics. The essay begins by highlighting the increasing crime rates globally and the significant correlation between poverty and criminal activities, setting the stage for a comparative analysis of the two disciplines. It delves into sociological perspectives, referencing concepts like social deprivation and anomie to explain how societal structures and inequalities contribute to crime. The essay then explores the economic viewpoint, discussing factors such as economic decline, wealth distribution, and the concept of need as drivers of criminal behavior. By comparing and contrasting these perspectives, the essay aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between poverty and crime, ultimately arguing which discipline offers a more robust explanation for the observed relationship, supported by relevant scholarly research and theoretical frameworks.

Running head: POVERTY AND CRIME
AN ANALYSIS OF POVERTY AND CRIME FROM SOCIOLOGY AND ECONOMICS
PERSPECTIVE
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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As stated by Daly (2017), crime is perhaps one of the most important wicked problems
that the different nations of the world are facing since the traditional times and the worst part is
the fact that the rate of crimes or for that matter the criminal activities is increasing in an
exponential manner. Engelen, Lander and Van Essen (2016) are of the viewpoint that the
different kinds of crimes not only adversely affect the lives of the common people and also cause
a substantial loss of valuable property as well. Furthermore, recent researchers have revealed the
fact a direct correlation exists between the entities of crimes or for that matter the criminal
activities and poverty since it had been a substantial percentage of the crimes committed in the
entire world are being committed by the individuals living below the line of poverty (Short Jr.,
2018). More importantly, as discussed by De Giorgi (2017), the exponential increase in the crime
rate of the world had made the different scholars or for that matter the researchers to undertake a
discussion of the relationship which exists between crime and poverty from various theoretical
disciplines. In this relation, it needs to be said that the disciplines of sociology and economics are
the two major disciplines from the perspective of which the scholars and the researchers are
trying to explain the relationship that exists between poverty and crime. The essay intends to
undertake an analysis of the relationship which exists between poverty and crime through the
usage of the disciplines of sociology and economics.
Lofstrom and Raphael (2016) are of the viewpoint that a profound relationship exists
between poverty and crime and this becomes more apparent when an analysis of the different
criminal activities that had been committed over the years is being undertaken. For instance, it
had been seen that the crime rate in the regions which is being inhabited by the people living
below the line of poverty is very high in comparison to the areas wherein the people who
adequate amount of wealth reside (Farkas, 2017). As discussed by Forst (2016), this can be

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explained on the basis of the fact that the deprived of the basic rights or for that the ineffective
fulfillment of the basic psychosocial needs of the individuals because of poverty often propels
them to indulge in the kind of activities which are not being considered legal or ethical by the
society. More importantly, it had been seen that the definition of crime or for that matter criminal
activities itself is a subjective one and thus it is seen that the activities which were considered to
be completed legal or ethical at one point of time are considered to be crimes in the present times
(Baskin, 2018). Furthermore, in order to effectively understand the concept of crimes and its
relationship with poverty it is important for the individuals to understand the factors which
influence the individuals to indulge in various kinds of criminal activities or the factors that
contribute towards the same (Zehr, 2019). It is in the light of these aspects that the researcher had
decided to undertake an analysis of the relationship between crime and poverty through the usage
of the disciplines of sociology and economics so as to gain a better understanding of the
concerned relationship.
Cheong and Wu (2015) are of the viewpoint that in order to gain an effective
understanding of the relationship which exists between poverty and crime through the discipline
of sociology the individuals are required to take into account the concepts propounded by
Adolphe Quetelet. As discussed by Loseke (2017), in the earlier times one important justification
for the high crime rate of the regions with high poverty rate was the fact that poverty influenced
the individuals to indulge in different kinds of criminal activities. More importantly, in the
particular context of city of Paris in the 19th century it was seen that the crime rate was the
highest in the regions with the highest rate of poverty (Hayward, 2016). However, Adolphe
Quetelet after undertaking an analysis of the crime rates of the different regions of the city of
Paris came forward with the result that it was not true that the crime rate of all the regions in the

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city of Paris wherein the poorest people of the city lived was high (Okulicz-Kozaryn & Mazelis,
2018). Rather he found that the crime rate of only those regions which were in the vicinity of the
regions wherein the rich or for that matter the affluent people of the city dwelled. For instance,
unlike the earlier scholars or for that matter the theorists who considered poverty to be the
primary factor which influenced crime, Quetelet suggested that social deprivation was the major
factor which influenced crime (Mills, Freilich & Chermak, 2017).
According to MacLeod (2018), an important aspect of the contemporary world is the fact
that more than 90% of the wealth of the world is being held by less than 10% of the people of the
world. Weatherburn and Schnepel (2015) are of the viewpoint that this unequal distribution of
wealth among the different individuals have created a rift among the individuals on the basis of
the wealth that they hold. More importantly, it had been seen that the individuals who live below
the line of poverty had to face a substantial amount of deprivation because of the inadequate
amount of wealth that they have and this in turn often leads to the ineffective fulfillment of their
basic psychosocial needs as well. The resultant effect of this is that the individuals living below
the line of poverty often resort to the usage of activities which are considered to be illegal or for
that matter unethical from the perspective of the people of the mainland for the fulfillment of
their social expectations (Ljujic, van Prooijen & Weerman, 2017). It is precisely here that the
concept of anomie becomes important since it adequately explains the high crime rate among the
people who had to face a substantial amount of deprived or for that matter are not being able to
fulfill their social expectations. For instance, it had been seen that there are many individuals
living below the line of poverty who indulge in different kinds of criminal activities however the
justification which is being offered for the criminal activities which are being performed by them

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is that they are entitled to the things for the attainment of which they indulged in criminal
activities (Sharkey, Torrats-Espinosa & Takyar, 2017).
Hurst, Gibbon and Nurse (2016) are of the viewpoint that an important factor which
offers an explanation of the relationship between poverty and crime can be attributed to the
aspect of economic decline. This can be explained on the basis of the fact that the crime rate
within a particular is always the highest in times of economic decline and the lowest when the
concerned nation is having a time of prosperity (Ljujic, van Prooijen & Weerman, 2017). For
instance, it is seen that during the time of economic prosperity it is seen that the individuals
regardless of the section of the society to which they belong do not have to undergo any
substantial amount of deprivation and this in turn reduces their propensity to indulge in activities
which although illegal yet help them in the fulfillment of their social expectations (Sharkey,
Torrats-Espinosa & Takyar, 2017). On the other hand, it had been seen that the crime rate of the
different nations increase during the time of economic crisis because the individuals indulge in
various kinds of illegal or for that matter unethical activities for the fulfillment of their social
expectation or to reduce the social deprivation that they had to face within the societal
framework (Taylor, 2018). In the light of these aspects, it can be said that the discipline of
sociology in a succinct manner explains the correlation which exists between poverty and crime.
The association between the concepts of poverty and crime can also be explained
adequately through the usage of the discipline of economics. Wright and DeLisi (2015) are of the
viewpoint that one of the most important factors which motivate the different indulge in different
kinds of criminal activities can be attributed to the insufficient amount of wealth held by them.
Adding to this, Williams and Windebank (2017) have noted that the insufficient amount of
wealth which is being held by the majority of the people of the world creates a sense of injustice

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within them and thus they resort to the usage of different kinds of activities which are highly
illegal in nature for the remedy or for that matter the resolution of the injustice that the society
had committed against the. Furthermore, it is seen that within the domain of economics, one of
the most important concepts which is being for explaining the relationship between poverty and
crime can be attributed to the concept of need (Clarke, 2018). In this relation, it needs to be said
that all the human beings have certain specific basic needs, the fulfillment of which is important
so as to help them to lead a high quality (Richie, 2018). More importantly, Rios, Carney and
Kelekay (2017) have noted that the effective fulfillment of the basic needs of the individuals is
important since it helps the individuals to maximum the potential of their life and thereby lead
fruitful or for that matter a meaningful life.
According to Andersen (2019), an important factor which over the years had adversely
affected the effective fulfillment of the basic needs of the individuals can be attributed to the
greed displayed by a handful people of the world. For instance, it had been seen that the greed of
the people related to the affluent sections of the society had increased in an exponential manner
and the resultant effect of this is that they try to accumulate the things or the objects which are
not even of primary importance in their lives but meant for the fulfillment of the greed of the
concerned individuals (Bhalla & Lapeyre, 2016). This in turn had not only adversely affected the
fulfillment of the basic needs of the people living below the line of poverty but at the same time
irate them as well because of the injustice involved in the concerned process. In addition to these,
it had been seen that steady decline in the economic condition of the different individuals of the
world had also contributed towards the increase in the crime rate of the world as well (Akers,
2017). More importantly, it had been seen that the rich are becoming richer and the poor are
becoming even poorer and this societal condition in turn have substantially added to the feeling

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of injustice or for that matter discount felt by the individuals belonging to the poor section of the
society (Wortley & Townsley, 2016). These in turn have contributed significantly towards the
increase in the crime rate in the present. Thu, it can be said that the usage of the disciple of
economics for the analysis of the correlation which exists between poverty and crime yields
insightful information regarding the same.
To conclude, the usage of the disciplines of economics and sociology for the analysis of
the relationship between crime and poverty offers valuable information regarding the concerned
correlation. However, the above discussion of the same reveals the same that the discipline of
sociology offers a much better understanding of the relation between crime and poverty since it
not only encompasses the different factors which had contributed towards the increase in the
number of crimes committed by the poor people but also takes into perspective the economic
factor as well. More importantly, the concerned discipline in a succinct manner highlights the
fact that mere difference in the economic condition had not propelled the poor people to indulge
in different kinds of criminal activities but there are other aspects as well like social deprivation,
social expectations, economic decline and others that had contributed towards the same. These
aspects become apparent from the above analysis of the relationship between poverty and crime
through the lens of the two disciplines of sociology and economics.

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