Crímen y economía: una revisión crítica de las explicaciones economicas del crímen

Abstract

The link between crime and the economy is wide and with appealing theoretical and empirical problems. In view of this the present paper offers a review of the advantages and the limits of this almost traditional link. For this purpose, different approaches from the sociology, the economy and the criminology were selected and classified into three groups: rationality, political economy and economic deprivation. The review of each group included its origins and its basic arguments so as its more important theoretical limits and empirical problems. To gain a better insight, the applicability of each approach to the comparative study of crime was also considered. As a result this text presents a wider and critical view of the actual status of the economic explanations of crime and an accurate map of the most important research puzzles related with the economic characteristics of crime. It also offers an extensive bibliography to guide students’ interests and future research.