New publication by Steven Messner and Andreas Hövermann: "Institutional Imbalance, Marketized Mentality, and the Justification of Instrumental Offenses: A Cross-National Application of Institutional Anomie Theory"

"The paper confronts the challenges associated with the development of an "integrated approach" to the micro-macro problem in criminology. The paper´s findings aim to contribute to bridging the gap between societal institutional structure and crime. Precisely, we suggest a mechanism grounded in the individual perception-choice process that undergirds moral decision-making. The paper´s results indicate that economic dominance in the institutional order of societies is conducive to widespread marketized mentalities in society. When persons adopt marketized mentalities (MM), they also become more amenable to viewing morally dubious behavior as acceptable. Prior research showed a close connection of MM with actual criminal behavior which altogether connects societal institutional structures with crime."
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