Political Restraint on the Market and Levels of Criminal Homicide: A Cross-national Application of Institution-anomie Theory

Richard Rosenfeld, Steven F. Messner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This article examines the effects on national homicide rates of political efforts to insulate personal well-being from market forces. Drawing upon recent work by Esping-Andersen and the institutional-anomie theory of crime, we hypothesize that levels of homicide will vary inversely with the "decommodification of labor." We develop a measure of decommodification based on levels and patterns of welfare expenditures and include this measure in a multivariate, cross-national analysis of homicide rates. The results support our hypothesis and lend credibility to the institutional-anomie perspective. The degree of decommodification is negatively related to homicide rates, net of controls for other characteristics of nations.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalSocial Forces
Volume75
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1997

Disciplines

  • Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Criminology

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