Crime, Criminals, and Criminology Flashcards
What is the goal of social sciences studying crime?
To develop general and verified principles and knowledge regarding law, crime, and treatment.
What is Criminology according to Sutherland and Cressey?
“The body of knowledge regarding crime as a social phenomenon.”
What are the six areas within criminology?
Defining crime and criminals
Origins and roles of law
Social distribution of crime
The causation of crime
Societal reaction to crime
Rules, Laws, and Regulation of Behavior
“What distinguishes a speeding ticket from an assault charge according to the law?”… (Why are some crimes considered worse than others)?
Not all crimes are equally harmful, and not all social harms are criminal.
Who should be included in the study of crime?
Charged but not convicted individuals, those who committed a crime but were not charged, and who is truly liable for said crime.
What are some questions about the origins and roles of law?
Why are some things criminal and others not?
Why do laws change?
Are there regional differences?
Why are some laws dealt with under different types of legislation?
What is the social distribution of crime concerned with?
People more likely to commit crimes, crime rates, patterns of behavior, types of crime, characteristics, location, poverty, and circumstances.
What are some aspects of societal reaction to crime?
How the criminal justice system, politicians, governments, and citizens react.
What are norms, folkways, and taboos in relation to behavior?
Norms: Rules governing conduct.
Folkways: Informal rules.
Taboos: Violations met with shock and indignation.
What is deviance, and how is it socially defined?
Deviance: Violation of norms, socially defined and met with disapproval.
What is the relationship between deviance and crime?
Crime is a type of deviance but socially defined and varies in severity and consensus.
What are the approaches in Criminology?
Consensus approach: Laws reflect societal consensus.
Conflict approach: Laws reflect the interests of the ruling class, formed through conflict.
