biological explanations : atavistic form

Question 1

lombrosos proposal -

Answer 1

Lombroso proposed that criminals are biologically different from modern humans. He argued that criminals have more in common with our evolutionary ancestors than normal humans do.

Question 2

characteristics of a criminal

Answer 2

Heavy brow
Strong jaw
Extra fingers/toes/nipples
Further, Lombroso argued, different types of criminal have typical facial features. For example, he argued that murderers typically have curly hair and bloodshot eyes, whereas sex offenders have swollen and fleshy lips.

Question 3

Method- atavistic

Answer 3

Lombroso meticulously examined the facial and cranial features of 383 dead convicts and 3839 alive Italian convicts, and concluded that 40% of criminal acts are committed by people with atavistic characteristics

Question 4

+historical influence

Answer 4

although his theory is widely dismissed my modern- day scientists, it played an important role in advancing criminology and scientific explanations of criminal behaviour.

Question 5

methodological concerns- lombroso

Answer 5

• A key methodological flaw in Lombroso’s approach was that he did not use a non-criminal control group to compare his measurements of criminals against. Without comparing the features of criminals against the features of non-criminals, it is impossible to say whether criminals do actually have distinctive features that differentiate them from non-criminals as Lombroso claimed.

Question 6

ethical concerns- lombroso

Answer 6

Lombroso’s atatvistic form explanation is socially sensitive because it could lead to stereotyping and discrimination based on the way a person looks.