ABSTRACT
Conflict and radical theories are each macro-level theories in that they assume that forces external to the individual, resulting from the organization of society as a whole, shape the nature of social institutions, and within these, channel the behavior of humans and their interactions. Crime can occur when dominant groups/segments define the behavior of subordinate segments as threatening their interests. Dominant groups use law as a weapon to criminalize others' behavior, and use the criminal justice system to enforce their own group's definitions of reality about what is unacceptable for the purpose of preserving their dominant positions in society. From the conflict perspective, inequalities can operate on several dimensions as individuals form groups that compete with other groups in a struggle for limited resources, power, status, and prestige. Although radical theory advocates replacing the class inequalities of capitalism with a decentralized socialist society, conflict is more interested in minimizing the inequalities in the existing structure.
