Rethinking Homicide: Instrumental and Expressive Motives in Homicide Situations

摘要: one common basis for distinguishing types of homicide involves their motive. Typical motives and circumstances surrounding homicides include trivial altercations, jealousy, revenge, romantic triangles, robbery, sexual assault, burglary, disputes in drug transactions. These are often subclassified to differentiate between two general homicides: “expressive” “instrumental” homicides. Using narrative accounts Los Angeles over the twentieth century national Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR), this chapter examines episodal nature structure expressive instrumental Descriptive case analyzed identify patterns transactions that underlie most (i.e., confrontational among male offenders) killings robbery-homicides). Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is used on SHR data determine whether qualitatively different structures combinations offender, victim, situational characteristics). We do empirically by identifying prevalent individual elements unique each type homicide, as well those both, through QCA's systematic process holistic comparison. Instrumental Expressive Crimes Although not without its critics (e.g., Felson 1993; Polk 1994), distinction crimes has been widely criminological research. conducted explicit, future goals (such acquire money or improve one's social position), whereas offenses unplanned acts anger, rage, frustration (see Block 1976; Christakos 1995; Zimring 1973; Decker 1996; Siegel 1998).