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Den rationella inbrottstjuven? : En studie om rationalitet och rationellt handlande i brott

Wahlin, Lottie LU (1999) In Lund Dissertations in Sociology
Abstract
Rationality as purposive action among burglars is the theme of this study. Various theories concerning rationality, Rational Choice Theory especially, are discussed. The first purpose of this thesis is to highlight the concept of rationality. Rationality is a complex concept and it is defined in various ways in the literature. The basic definition is to act in a purposive way towards a defined goal. The second purpose is to study the occurence of rational components in criminal behaviour among burglars. The action of burglary has been treated as a serie of actions, in which there are many decisions to make. Ethnographical studies and interviews have been conducted. The analyses and interpretations of the narratives render a picture of a... (More)
Rationality as purposive action among burglars is the theme of this study. Various theories concerning rationality, Rational Choice Theory especially, are discussed. The first purpose of this thesis is to highlight the concept of rationality. Rationality is a complex concept and it is defined in various ways in the literature. The basic definition is to act in a purposive way towards a defined goal. The second purpose is to study the occurence of rational components in criminal behaviour among burglars. The action of burglary has been treated as a serie of actions, in which there are many decisions to make. Ethnographical studies and interviews have been conducted. The analyses and interpretations of the narratives render a picture of a situationally bounded rational action which also is contextually and culturally anchored. The necessity of further theoretical refinements for empirical studies covered by rationality, is emphasized. Concludingly, criminal behaviour seen through rationality as a general framwo rk has been acknowledge as being fruitful and relevant. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract
Studien behandlar temat rationalitet och bostadsinbrott. Ett syfte har varit att undersöka rationalitet och rationellt handlande. Rationalitetsbegreppet är komplext och diskuteras och definieras olika i litteraturen. Den teoretiska referensramen har utgjorts av rationalitetsteorier, främst de s.k. Rational Choice-teorierna. Den grundläggande betydelse som rationalitet fått i detta arbete är ett avsiktligt handlande mot ett definierat mål. Aktören förväntas att överväga olika alternativ och sedan välja det bästa i förhållande till målet. Syftet har också varit att undersöka rationella komponenter i inbrottstjuvars agerande vid brott. Det empiriska materialet består av ett antal etnografiska studier och ett eget... (More)
Popular Abstract
Studien behandlar temat rationalitet och bostadsinbrott. Ett syfte har varit att undersöka rationalitet och rationellt handlande. Rationalitetsbegreppet är komplext och diskuteras och definieras olika i litteraturen. Den teoretiska referensramen har utgjorts av rationalitetsteorier, främst de s.k. Rational Choice-teorierna. Den grundläggande betydelse som rationalitet fått i detta arbete är ett avsiktligt handlande mot ett definierat mål. Aktören förväntas att överväga olika alternativ och sedan välja det bästa i förhållande till målet. Syftet har också varit att undersöka rationella komponenter i inbrottstjuvars agerande vid brott. Det empiriska materialet består av ett antal etnografiska studier och ett eget intervjumaterial med ett mindre antal inbrottstjuvar. Ett bostadsinbrott betraktas inte som enda handling, utan snarare som en serie handlingar. En indelning av brottet i olika steg har gjorts. Varje steg innehåller sedan ett antal moment. Dessa har studerats och analyserats utifrån ett rationalitetsperspektiv. Analyserna och tolkningarna av materialet visar en bild av ett situationellt rationellt handlande, som även är kulturellt kontextbundet. Ett ytterligare syfte har varit att se huruvida rationalitetsperspektivet är fruktbart för att studera brottsliga handlingar. Studien stödjer perspektivets användbarhet förutsatt en utvidgad definition av rationalitetsbegreppet och ett hänsynstagande till det kulturella sammanhanget. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Lindgren, Sven-Åke
organization
alternative title
The Rational Burglar? : A study of rationality and rational behaviour in crime
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
burglary, purposive action, reasoning, risk, drugs, ethnographical studies, narratives, interviews, bounded rationality, situational, Rationality, Sociology, cultural context., Rational Choice Theory, Criminology, Sociologi, Kriminologi
in
Lund Dissertations in Sociology
issue
29
pages
172 pages
publisher
Department of Sociology, Lund University
defense location
Carolinasalen, Lund
defense date
1999-10-05 10:15:00
ISSN
1102-4712
ISBN
91-89078-85-3
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
6c56271d-b1ef-496e-aee0-f0b5d1c09b84 (old id 19011)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:21:28
date last changed
2019-09-23 14:48:52
@phdthesis{6c56271d-b1ef-496e-aee0-f0b5d1c09b84,
  abstract     = {{Rationality as purposive action among burglars is the theme of this study. Various theories concerning rationality, Rational Choice Theory especially, are discussed. The first purpose of this thesis is to highlight the concept of rationality. Rationality is a complex concept and it is defined in various ways in the literature. The basic definition is to act in a purposive way towards a defined goal. The second purpose is to study the occurence of rational components in criminal behaviour among burglars. The action of burglary has been treated as a serie of actions, in which there are many decisions to make. Ethnographical studies and interviews have been conducted. The analyses and interpretations of the narratives render a picture of a situationally bounded rational action which also is contextually and culturally anchored. The necessity of further theoretical refinements for empirical studies covered by rationality, is emphasized. Concludingly, criminal behaviour seen through rationality as a general framwo rk has been acknowledge as being fruitful and relevant.}},
  author       = {{Wahlin, Lottie}},
  isbn         = {{91-89078-85-3}},
  issn         = {{1102-4712}},
  keywords     = {{burglary; purposive action; reasoning; risk; drugs; ethnographical studies; narratives; interviews; bounded rationality; situational; Rationality; Sociology; cultural context.; Rational Choice Theory; Criminology; Sociologi; Kriminologi}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  number       = {{29}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Sociology, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Dissertations in Sociology}},
  title        = {{Den rationella inbrottstjuven? : En studie om rationalitet och rationellt handlande i brott}},
  year         = {{1999}},
}