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CC 290 Theories Midterm > Introduction: The Study of Crime > Flashcards

Introduction: The Study of Crime Flashcards

1
Q

What is Criminology?

A

“The body of knowledge regarding crime as a social phenomenon. It includes… the processes of:

  • Making laws,
  • Breaking laws, and
  • Reacting to the breaking of laws.”
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2
Q

Why study crime?

A
  • To know more about crime and better understand it
  • Crime tells us a lot about our society
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3
Q

What is Theory?

A
  • Theory is the explanation of relationship between 2 or more events
  • We need them to live or to live better
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4
Q

What is Theory NOT?

A
  • Popular belief
  • Value-driven explanations
  • Speculation
  • Opinion
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5
Q

Characteristics of Simple Theories

A
  • Focus on a single factor
  • Relate two factors (cause & effect) to each other

Are based on:
- Use of systematic evidence and objective observation
- Rational explanations

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6
Q

Characteristics of Complex Theories

A
  • Require many factors in explanation

Specify conditions and processes necessary for relationships to take place
Most importantly, theories should reflect:
- Careful observation
- Systemic logic

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7
Q

How to determine a good theory

A

The criteria most often used today are:

-Testability: a good theory is one that can be tested

  • Best fit to research evidence: a good theory best fits the evidence of research
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8
Q

What is Logical Soundness?

A
  • the theory does not propose illogical relationships, and that it is internally consistent
  • a quality of a good theory
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9
Q

What does it mean if a theory has the ability to make sense of conflicting positions?

A
  • when evidence seems to indicate that there are two or more opposing facts, a theory that can reconcile those facts is a good one and is better than having different theories to account for each fact
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10
Q

What is are sensitizing qualities of a theory?

A
  • focusing people’s attention on a new, or even forgotten, direction of inquiry or perhaps suggesting a different way of looking at and interpreting a fact they already know
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11
Q

What is an example of a sensitizing theory?

A
  • Labelling theory: the power of a label
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12
Q

Why is popularity a characteristic of a good theory?

A
  • if a theory becomes popular with criminologists, then by definition it seems to be a “good” theory
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13
Q

How are theories are different?

A

What is being explained?
- Social structure, classes of people, small groups, individuals

What is the approach?
- Social, psychological, or biological factors

What is the crime-based focus?
- Crime, criminal behaviour, crime rates, victimization, fear of crime, location

What is covered, what is not?
- Time frame, population, circumstance

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14
Q

What are two general types of criminological theories?

A
  1. Unit Theory
  2. Metatheory
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15
Q

What is Unit theory?

A
  • emphasize a particular problem (such as crime and delinquency) and make testable assertions about that problem
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16
Q

What is Meta theory?

A
  • best viewed as ways of looking at and interpreting reality
  • “theories about theories”
17
Q

Ways to classify theories

A
  • Classical vs Positivist
  • Structural vs Processual
  • Consensus vs Conflict
18
Q

What is a Classical theory?

A
  • focus on legal statutes, governmental structures, and the rights of humans
19
Q

What is a Positivist theory?

A
  • Focus on pathology in criminal behaviour, on treatment, and on the correction of criminality within individuals
  • Most theories today are positivist ones
20
Q

What is a Structural theory?

A
  • Focuses on the way society is organized and its effect on behaviour
  • For example: strain theory
21
Q

What is a Processual theory?

A
  • attempt to explain how people become criminal or delinquent
22
Q

What is the Consensus approach?

A
  • based on the assumption that there is agreement among people in a society
23
Q

What is the Conflict approach?

A
  • based on the assumption that disagreement is common and people hold conflicting values
24
Q

What is the Interactionist Approach?

A

Laws are constantly changing

-Laws result from interaction among individuals and groups

  • Moral entrepreneurs try to get their values enacted in law (People that use their political and economical power to impose their views on society)

-Criminal labels stigmatize the individual

25
Q

What are the 3 levels of abstraction in theory?

A
  1. Macro
  2. Bridging
  3. Micro
26
Q

What is a Macro theory?

A
  • The most abstract
  • Explain social structure and its effects
  • Focus on rates of crime (epidemiology)
  • Can contain bridging and micro theories

For example: Anomie and Conflict theories

27
Q

What is a bridging theory?

A
  • A bridging theory is somewhat abstract, less than a macro theory, more than a micro theory
  • Can be classified as either macro or micro theories
  • Focus on how social structure comes about and how people become criminal (epidemiological and etiological)

For example: Labelling theory, subculture theory and differential opportunity theory

28
Q

What is a Micro theory?

A
  • A micro theory is the least abstract (most concrete)
  • Explain how people become criminals (etiology)
  • Focus on specific groups of people or individuals

For example: social control and social learning theories

29
Q

What is Epidemiology?

A
  • explaining differing rates of crime
30
Q

What is Etiological?

A
  • explaining criminal behaviour
31
Q

What is the social context of a theory?

A
  • refers to the world about us: the ways people in a society are thinking, the things they are doing, the events taking place, the fads and fashions that are popular, and even the way society is structured
  • events and belief of the times
32
Q

What is the intellectual context of a theory?

A
  • refers to the personal influence of teachers, friends, family and colleagues
  • Books, mentors, and influences important to the theorist
33
Q

What is the connection between theory, research and policy?

A

Theory
- theory is the start of the relationship
- theory provides the elements that allows us to develop a research plan

Research
- research test the theory and guides us to policy development
- allows a theory to be refined and redirected

Policy
- policy can be evaluated with research which may indicate theory needs to be revised
- depends on theory and research

34
Q
A

CC 290 Theories Midterm (4 decks)

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