Reading Questions
Elliott Currie, “Market,
Crime, and Community”
Marcia K. Meyers and Janet
C. Gornick, “The European Model”
Currie argues that there are
seven features of a “market society” that, in combination, account for the
distinct levels of violent crime in the
How is the incidence of
crime in the
How does Currie define a ”market society”?
For each of the features Currie identifies, explain:
1)how does this feature of a market society affect the
potential for criminal violence—what is the mechanism through which, for
example, the “destruction of livelihood” leads to high levels of criminal
violence;
2)what evidence, if any, does Currie offer to support his claim that this
feature of a market society is a factor in creating high levels of criminal
violence?
3)do you think the evidence is
sufficient to support his claim? Why or why not
Currie acknowledges that no
one of these features of a market society by itself is responsible for high
levels of criminal violence but rather it is their combination that accounts
for the distinctly high levels of criminal violence in the
According to Meyers and Gornick:
What are three areas where
government policies may help parents to balance work-family demands? Give an example for each area of a government
policy that does help parents balance work-family demands.
Why are the European systems
of early childhood care superior to the system in the