5b - discussion cards Flashcards
1
Q
Positivism and Criminology
A
- Justice used to be dealt out by the church and the bourgeoisie; attributed evil to the devil.
- Theory: integrated sets of propositions seeking to offer explanation of a problem
- Positivists: 18th-century theorists who used the scientific method to determine the causes of crime
- Assumes that the objective truth can be discovered — the universe is knowable
- Largely eliminated the notion of evil as attributable to the devil and similar ideas
2
Q
Classical Criminology
A
- Cesare Beccaria: founder; people are rational
- Rationality and free will are parts of human behaviour; people do a cost/benefit analysis in their mind
- Main sentencing principle: punishment should be proportionate to the crime. Section 700
- Excessive punishment would lead to an increase in crime; some evidence to support (brutalization)
- People can control their behaviour
- Costs and benefits of crime can be weighed
3
Q
Biological Positivism
A
- Cesare Lombroso: the born criminal
- Focuses on links between biology and crime (biological approach) — hint of Darwinism
- Lombroso saw common physical features among criminals
- These external physical features included nose shape, tattoos, skull shape/contour, ear lobes, and
- so on that denote criminality; phrenology
4
Q
Types of People
A
Richard Dugdale
- Richard Dugdale’s case study of the Jukes (1888)
- proponent of biological approach; speculated a genetic component (word genetic was introduced in 1905)
- Early ideas of inherited criminality
- Used the Jukes family to argue that criminality and other social problems were inherited traits
Herny Goddard
- Henry Goddard extended this to include links between heredity, crime, and “feeblemindedness” (low IQ)
- Goddard’s study of the Kallikak family (1912) links low intelligence (feebleminded) through family lineage
- Goddard concludes that criminal behaviour is inherited
5
Q
Rise of Eugenics
A
- Eugenics rises as a branch of science
- Laws are passed to sterilize the “feebleminded,” mentally ill, or even the epileptic
- Problem: Laws target the poor, minorities, and women
- Problem: Early IQ tests were based on cultural knowledge rather than intellectual ability
6
Q
“Dangerous Class”
A
- The growth of a “dangerous class” of people comprised mostly of the poor — a lot of orphans
- came from Ireland and England
- Parents were seen to be the source of the problem; children seen as “defectives”
7
Q
20th C. Theory: Biological positivism persists
A
- Twins and adoption studies: show the best link between biology and crime (however flawed)
- Identical twins (100% similar) have higher rates of criminality than fraternal twins (50% similar)
- Adoption: links exist between adopted criminal child & biological criminal parent
8
Q
20th C. Theory: Body Type
A
Sheldon
- somatotypes study suggested body type tied to criminality — somatotypes: mesomorphs most likely to be criminal (also ectomorph & endomorph). Book; “varieties of delinquent youth”. His study, funded by the Glucks — hasn’t been much supported.
9
Q
20th C. Theory: Chromosomes
A
- X chromosome comes from mother. Theories linking crime to an extra Y chromosome were not well supported
10
Q
20th C. Theory: IQ, LD, ADHD
A
- Notion of a relationship between IQ and delinquency persists but is highly controversial
- There seems to be some relation between IQ and crime but is this a function of the research (examined youth already in system) or the test being used (biased)
- LD (learning disability) relationship may not be about the LD directly but more about the responses of/to others to the persons disability; An LD youth (especially undiagnosed) who experiences challenges in shcool, with peers, and at home, may respond by gravitating to others who are involved in deviant or criminal behaviour (outsider gravitation); the link to delinquency also appears to exist but how is unclear.
- ADHD has been linked to delinquency as a result of social relationship variables
11
Q
How Do We Explain Biology?
A
- Main focus of biological theories is in differentiating the criminal from the non-criminal
- Must consider social and environmental impacts as well (and we cannot separate the person from these)
- Biology links to criminality by creating a behavioural potential that is put into action by environmental factors; gene activation
12
Q
Psychological Positivism
A
Antisocial characteristics identified to explain deviance
13
Q
Psychological Positivism: Psychoanalytic theories
A
- Developmental links to crime
- Freud – underdeveloped/overdeveloped superego is linked to crime
- Erikson – unsuccessful identity development linked to crime
- It is challenging to confirm links from abstract notions to criminality or deviance.
14
Q
Psychological Positivism: Behaviourism (Skinner)
A
- Talked about role of reinforcement or punishment to control unlawful behaviour. B
- Social learning theory (Bandura). Boxing Bobo behavioural experiment where the child beats the crap out of Bobo after watching.
- Imitation is one way for criminal behaviour to be learned
- Behaviourism is reflected in our current system of youth justice in that YCJA and the adversarial approach to crime attempts to impose a direct consequence for action and to attempt to extinguish problem behaviour though matching punishment to action
15
Q
Psychological Positivism: Moral Development Theory
(Piaget, Kohlberg)
A
- Kohlberg theory of moral development; Based on movement through stages; Delinquents haven’t evolved.
- Piaget is to developmental psychology (child psych) what Freud is to psychoanalysis Delinquents are said to be at a lower stage of development than non-delinquents
16
Q
Psychological Positivism: Personality Theory
A
- Personality traits determine behaviour
- Standardized tests are used to identify traits
- Danger: People may be incorrectly identified as potentially criminal, based on scores
17
Q
Psychological Positivism: Antisocial Personality Theory
(Eysenck and others)
A
- Characterized by impulsivity, insensitivity, lack of remorse
- Psychopath, sociopath and antisocial personality are all 3 are distinct diagnoses. Popular culture often lumps them together.
- A real diagnosis requires a standardized test such as PCL-R and person must meet DSM-V criteria.
- Have difficulty developing lasting friendships, are controlling of others, and are often passive-aggressive
18
Q
Sociological Positivism
A
Focus is on environment and how it affects individual’s behaviour
19
Q
Sociological Positivism: Social Disorganization Theory
(Shaw and McKay)
A
- Links crime and delinquency to regions of an urban area
- Residential zone in transition: highest level of crime
- Areas transitional or transient in nature
- Social variables exist in zone that creates crime
20
Q
SocioPositivism: Anomie / Strain theory
(Merton; Father of Strain theory)
A
- Strains cause crime (many strains but example is financial strain. A subjective concept and can exist in any facet of one’s life. )
- Anomie is a state of “normlessness” that stresses people and leads to criminality; norms no longer constrain
- Society creates universal goals but access to the means is stratified (limited); 5 modes of adaptation result
- Five modes of adaptation: Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, Rebellion,
- Innovators are the most likely type found among delinquents
21
Q
Sociological Positivism: Delinquent subculture
(Cohen)
A
- Status frustration
- Youth gangs emerge when lower-class teens are unable to realize middle-class goals
22
Q
Sociological Positivism: Differential opportunity
(Cloward and Ohlin)
A
- Adds illegitimate opportunity to Cohen’s model
- Inequality exists in youth gangs: There is a hierarchy of opportunity
- Also Anderson’s work out of the US: a subculture of young black males to whom respect is very important to.
23
Q
Sociological Positivism: Class culture
(Miller)
A
- Cultural characteristics of lower class contribute to delinquency (focal concerns)
- …being seen as causing trouble, tough, looking for excitement, fatalism and autonomy…but are these
- specific to lower class culture? and are they stereotypes perpetuated by popular culture.
24
Q
Sociological Positivism: Differential Association
(Sutherland — a conflict theorist)
A
- Laws represent concerns of the powerful
- Crime is learned from others who are criminal
- Behaviour (skills) and ideas (ways of thinking) about crime are learned
25
Q
Sociological Positivism: Drift and Delinquency
(David Matza)
A
- Crime is situational rather than learned and criminals do feel remorse
- Youth drift between conventional life and deviant life and rationalize/justify each as needed
- youth can drift between conventional life and delinquency
26
Q
Sociological Positivism:
Techniques of neutralization (Sykes and Matza)
A
- Juvenile delinquents justify their crime using five techniques
- These techniques displace blame for the ongoing involvement in crime
- Examples: “I was drunk”; “They deserved it”; “No one got hurt”; “I was protecting my brothers.”
- Sociological Positivism
27
Q
Sociological Positivism: Control theory
(Reckless, Hirschi, and others)
A
- Assumption is that we are only kept from criminal behaviour through socialization
- Deviants have not developed controls needed to ward off criminal behaviour
Sub-theories
- Containment (Reckless); containment was where there was a constant push/pull into deviant behaviour, juxtaposed by forces containing these pushes/pulls/impulses. Individuals are socialized to be positive and to have a strong sense of self. They are less likely to be involved in crime and deviance)
- Social Bonding (Hirschi); 4 elements created attachment for young people and deter them from committing crimes;
- attachment to school & parents
- commitment to achievement & success
- involvement in activities, &
- belief in conventional values.
28
Q
Consider
A
- If you had to develop your own explanation for why young people become involved in crime, would it be mainly biological, psychological, or sociological?
- In recalling your own teenaged years, which theory best fits your behaviour in terms of deterring you (or not!!) from being involved in crime and delinquency?
