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In criminology, the rational choice theory adopts a utilitarian belief that man is a reasoning actor who weighs means and ends, costs and benefits, and makes a rational choice. This method was designed by Cornish and Clarke to assist in thinking about situational crime prevention.〔(Clarke, 1997, p. 10)〕 It is assumed, that crime is purposive behavior designed to meet the offender’s commonplace needs for such things as money, status, sex and excitement, and that meeting these needs involves the making of (sometimes quite rudimentary) decisions and choices, constrained as these are by limits, ability, and the availability of relevant information.〔Clarke, 1997, p. 10)〕 ==Assumptions and central points== Rational choice is based on numerous assumptions, one of which is individualism.〔(Gul, 2009, p. 36)〕 The offender sees himself as an individual. The second is that individuals have to maximize their goals, and the third is that individuals are self-interested.〔(Gul, 2009, p. 36)〕 Offenders are thinking about themselves and how to advance their personal goals. Central points of the theory are described as follows:〔(Gul, 2009, p. 36)〕 *The human being is a rational actor. *Rationality involves end/means calculations. *People (freely) choose behavior, both conforming and deviant, based on their rational calculations. *The central element of calculation involves a cost benefit analysis: Pleasure versus pain or hedonistic calculus. *Choice, with all other conditions equal, will be directed towards the maximization of individual pleasure. *Choice can be controlled through the perception and understanding of the potential pain or punishment that will follow an act judged to be in violation of the social good, the social contract. *The state is responsible for maintaining order and preserving the common good through a system of laws. *The swiftness, severity, and certainty of punishment are the key elements in understanding a law’s ability to control human behavior. Rational choice theory has sprung from older and more experimental collections of hypotheses surrounding what have been essentially, the empirical findings from many scientific investigations into the workings of human nature. The conceiving and semblance of these social models which are hugely applicable to the methodology expressed through the function of microeconomics within society are also similarly placed to demonstrate that a sizable amount of data is collated using behavioral techniques which are tweaked and made adjustable in order to ensure compatibility with the spontaneous motivational drives displayed by the consumer.The theory borrows concepts from economic theories, to give greater weight to non-instrumental motives for crime and the “limited” or “bounded” nature of the rational process involved (Clarke, 1997, p. 9). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rational choice theory (criminology)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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