POVERTY AND CRIME

Emile Durkheim developed the concept of anomie to describe how the breakdown of conventional social conditions can lead to a sense of personal loss and dissolution. If members of society do not have conventional means to obtain conventional goals, then their sense of belonging is lost, and they resort to unconventional means in the form of crime and delinquency. Karl Marx felt that the “have’s and have not’s” were the foundation for the development of the conflict theory.

Many social theorists would argue that poverty is one of the main contributors to crime. We believe the division between the “have’s and have not’s” is a direct result of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Cities like New Orleans and Chicago are riddled with crime and high poverty rates. Drug selling and memberships to gangs offer a means to earn a living where there would otherwise not be one and that is why our organization is working to reduce poverty in Louisiana. We want to reduce the barriers that plague so many people in Louisiana.

By: Brandy

Source: Larry Siegel (Criminology)