Chapter 4 Flashcards
Micro level theories
focuses on the characteristics of the individual
normative theories
assume that there is a standard or agreed-upon set of societal norms that everyone knows and can therefore live by
Preclassical Ideas
- juveniles were not thought of as different or separate from adults
- middle ages –> bad behavior was attributed to religious factors
- punishments –> focused on driving the evil from individual
Preclassical ideas: natural causes
cycle of the moon was blamed for bad behavior
Thomas Hobbes
2 radical ideas
- individuals are rational beings
-individuals will not give respect or buy into a system of government system that does not offer a certain degree of respect
- citizens follow rules set forth by society in return for protection from harm (social contract).
Classical Ideas
- theories about human behavior focused on man’s capacity as a rational actor
- can choose to participate in crime
- consider the costs and benefits
- Beccaria and Bentham argued individuals weigh the costs and benefits of all of their actions
Rational choice theory
- we are hedonistic (engaged in pursuit of pleasure)
Beccaria 3 things
Certainty – be sure an individual will be caught
Celerity –swiftness
Severity – harsh enough to outweigh benefit of committing crime
Biological determinism
biology is responsible for criminal behavior
Environmental determinism
the view that one’s environment or experiences are responsible for criminal behavior
Eugenics
the movement to improve the human race through selective reproduction
Craniometry (Eugenics)
size of skull predicts criminality
Phrenology (Eugenics)
Bumps on skull is indicator of brain size
Atavistic (Lombroso)
characteristics that were a throwback to earlier developmental stages in evolution
Stigmata (Lombroso)
Asymmetry of the face, large jaws and cheekbones, unusually large or small ears that stand out from head, fleshy lips, abnormal teeth, flattened nose, angular form of the skull, scanty beard but general hairiness of the body, excessively long arms
Lombroso – the born criminal
He believed physical characteristics helped identify individuals who were not as evolved as noncriminals. born into their crime
Somototyping: Sheldon
3 body types:
endomorphic
ectomorphic
mesomorphic
Endomorphic (Soma)
body type is round and soft with small bones short limbs and soft smooth skin.
Called viscerotonic – relaxed and outgoing with a desire for comfort food and affection
Ectomorphic (Soma)
Body is fragile, thin, and delicate with poor muscle and weak bones.
Called Cerebrotonic – introverted, shy, restrained and inhibited