Chapter One: Intro to Crime and Criminology Dr.

Boots- CRIM 1307

Criminology

Criminology- integrated approach to the study of the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior. The scientific method is used in the study of Criminology where research questions are posed (hypotheses), data are gathered, theories are created and tested to further explain crime. Criminology is an interdisciplinary science as Criminologists are trained in a diverse fields including:

Sociology most common Criminal justice Political science Psychology Economics Natural science

 Differences b/w Criminology and Criminal

Justice

Criminology explains the origin, extent, and

nature of crime in society Criminal justice refers to the behavior among agencies of social control-- i.e., police departments, courts, and corrections Both discipline areas overlap Criminologists must be aware of how agencies operate and influence crime, while criminal justice experts must understand the nature of crime in order to develop policies to combat it

What Criminologists Do: The Criminological Enterprise Various subareas included within the disciplinary discipline of criminology, which, taken as a whole, define the field of study
Criminal Statistics/Crime Measurement (analysis,

measurement, identification, testing) Sociology of Law/Law & Society/Socio-Legal Studies Developing Theories of Crime Causation Studying Typologies and Patterns of Crime Penology Victimology

History of Criminological Thought

Classical Positivist Sociological Conflict Developmental Contemporary

Classical Criminology
Theoretical perspective suggesting utilitarian perspective that: People have free will to choose criminal or conventional behaviors People choose to commit crime for reasons of greed or personal need Crime can be controlled only by the fear of criminal sanctions
Classicalism served as a guide to crime and justice for

almost 100 years Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794) called for a more moderate and just approach to penal sanctions

Positivist Criminology
Began during the 19th century Uses the scientific method of the natural sciences and

suggests that human behavior is a product of social, biological, psychological, or economic forces Auguste Comte (1798-1857) founder of sociology Two main elements: 1) human behavior is a function of forces beyond a persons control and 2) embracing the scientific method to solve problems Charles Darwin (1809-1882) popularized the positivist tradition Biological Determinism - Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909) known as the father of Criminology; believed serious offenders suffered atavistic anomalies (physical abnormalities) Biosocial theory (not based on Lombroso) now popular

Sociological Criminology

Based on the work of Quetelet and Durkheim, this approach focuses on the relationship between social factors and crime Crime is not a function of personal characteristics but a social phenomenon that can be reduced by improving social and economic conditions The Chicago School and Beyond

Robert Ezra Park (1864-1944), Ernest W. Burgess (1886-1966), Louis Wirth (1897-1952) The Chicago School Pioneered research on social ecology - When there is a breakdown in the social institutions (e.g. school and family) criminal behavior is a reaction to an environment that was inadequate for proper human relations and development. Edwin Sutherland suggested people learn criminality Walter Reckless linked crime to an inadequate self-image Both views linked criminality to the failure of socialization The ecological or socialization view of crime was embraced by mid-century

Conflict Theory
Advanced by Karl Marx, this approach suggests that human

behavior is shaped by interpersonal conflict and those who maintain social power use it to further their own ends
and proletariat (labor) developing class conflicts. Stated that the economic system controls all facets of human life and thus produces the conditions that support a high crime rate.

He investigated the relationship between bourgeoisie (capitalists)

Development of conflict theory (the linkage between crime

and capitalism) Impact of Marxism was realized decades after its original writings when civil rights/womens movements prompted the study of social conditions in the U.S. that promoted class conflict and crime

Developmental Criminology
Began during the 20th century Work of Gluecks 1940s and 1950s profoundly

impacted field multidisciplinary focus that evolved into complex, developmental view of crime causation An integration of sociological, psychological, and economic elements came together to form the perspective that criminality is a dynamic process influenced by social experiences as well as individual characteristics

Contemporary Criminology
Various schools over the past 200 years

have resulted in a number of contemporary theories:

Rational choice Trait Social structure Social process Critical Developmental

Deviant or Criminal? How Criminologists Define Crime

Deviance includes a broad spectrum of behaviors,

ranging from the most socially harmful, such as rape and murder, to the relatively inoffensive, such as joining a religious cult or cross-dressing. A deviant act becomes a crime when it is deemed socially harmful or dangerous; it is then specifically defined, prohibited, and punished under the criminal law

Consensus View of Crime

The law defines crime Criminal law is a function of widespread

normative consensus concerning beliefs, morality and rules Laws apply to all citizens equally Prevalent until the 1960s

Conflict View of Crime

Criminal law reflects and protects established economic,

racial, gendered, and political power and privilege Definition of crime is controlled by wealth, power, and social position
Question sought to answer What causes some people to be

defined as criminals while others are not?

Crime is shaped by the values of the ruling class and not the

moral consensus of all people i.e. result of class conflict the haves versus the have nots
Criminal laws are created to maintain the imbalance of power

Interactionist View of Crime

Moral entrepreneurs define crime This position holds 1) People act according to their own

interpretations of reality, 2) People observe they way others react either positively or negatively, and 3) People reevaluate and interpret their own behavior according to the meaning and symbols they have learned from others There is not objective reality, according to interactionists people and institutions are viewed subjectively and labeled good or evil according to the evaluator
Crime has no meaning unless people react to it negatively only

stigma associated with crime

Crime is . . .
. . . a violation of societal rules of behavior as interpreted and expressed by the criminal law, which reflects public opinion, traditional values, and the viewpoint of people currently holding social and political power. Individuals who violate these rules are subject to sanctions by state authority, social stigma, and loss of status.
The definition combines all three criminological

perspectives

Consensus criminal law defines crimes Conflict emphasis on political power and control Interactionist concept of stigma

Crime & Criminal Law

The Code of Hammurabi was the first written

criminal code, developed in Babylonia about 2000 BC Mosaic Code included the laws of the ancient Israelites found in the Old Testament of the JudeoChristian Bible Common Law was early English law developed by judges, which became the law of the land in England and eventually formed the basis of criminal law in the U.S.
Mala in se refers to crime considered as evil murder,

burglary, arson, rape Mala prohibitum refers statutory crimes social conditions

Contemporary Criminal Law

Acts prohibited by criminal laws constitute

behaviors considered unacceptable and impermissible by those in power; thus, criminal laws serve a number of social goals

Purposes of Criminal Law

Ethics
Major ethical issues in criminological research

include:
What to study Whom to study How to study If you dont have ethics: no CJS and criminology!