Community Quote by Emma Goldman
““There is close relation, says Havelock Ellis, between crimes against the person and the price of alcohol, between crimes against property and the price of wheat. He quotes Quetelet and Lacassagne, the former looking upon society as the preparer of crime, and the criminals as instruments that execute them. The latter find that "the social environment is the cultivation medium of criminality; that the criminal is the microbe, an element which only becomes important when it finds the medium which causes it to ferment; every society has the criminals it deserves."[4]””
About This Quote
Source Book: Anarchism and Other Essays, Emma Goldman, 1910
Goldman argues that social conditions and commodity prices shape crime rates, suggesting society creates the environment that fosters criminal behavior.
In simple terms: Society’s conditions influence crime.
Key Takeaway
Address root causes, not just punishment.
Themes
social inequality
economics
crime
environment
policy
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
sociological
political
When to use this quote
- public health policy
- urban planning
- law enforcement
- social welfare programs
Key Concepts
social determinism
structural causality
environmental criminology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can policies change the economic environment to reduce crime?
- What role do personal responsibility and cultural norms play?
A Different Perspective
Crime rates also depend on individual choices and cultural factors beyond economics.
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