Mary likes to shop at Safeway because she likes their wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Periodically Mary is seen sampling the grapes and strawberries to determine their freshness and flavor. The store has no posted signs inviting shoppers to sample the fresh produce, yet Mary, like many others, is oblivious to the fact that someone must pay for the sampled fruit. Mary rationalizes her behavior by thinking that she is only sampling a couple of grapes and strawberries. No one cares; everybody else does it too; and certainly a few grapes will never be missed. She eats the fruit in open view, suggesting to others that such behavior is common and quite acceptable. No harm done. Have you ever sampled the fruit? Is this behavior stealing? Why, or why not? A man was once arrested in a store because he sampled too many grapes. Is it socially acceptable to steal within certain limits?
Identify the case that you selected and give a brief summary. Would the crime described in your case study be categorized as expressive or instrumental or a dichotomy of the two. Explain your reasoning. What influencing factors may have contributed to the subject’s crime or criminal behavior? How might the subject have rationalized his or her behavior? Explain what may lead one person to commit a crime while another person with a similar background does not. Would you have behaved in a similar way? Why, or why not? Support your responses with evidence from the Learning Resources.
