LO3 - evaluations of theories Flashcards
Freud’s psychodynamic theory strengths
-can be used to explain all criminal behaviour
-can treat criminals through psychoanalysis
-has been used in development of social policies
Freud’s psychodynamic theory weaknesses
-cant measure the unconscious so its subjective
-the theory would predict that children without same sex parents are more likely to commit crimes which isn’t true
Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory strengths
practical application - greater stability in childcare practises and longer visiting time with parents
Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory weaknesses
-retrospective recall might be inaccurate as they’re asked to recall events that happened in childhood so memory may be affected
-may have investigator effects as he designed and conducted the interviews himself so may have researcher bias
SLT strengths
-scientific as Bandura’s study was a lab study to high internal validity
-explains criminal behaviour outside of genetic link
SLT weaknesses
-children may have been attracted to attacking the doll as that is its nature (hit it and it comes back up)
-opportunistic crimes can’t be explained by SLT as it has to be thought about
-too deterministic and ignores free will
Sutherlands differential association theory strengths
-explains why prisons are universities of crime
-explains high rate of re-offending
-can be applied to any type of crime
Sutherlands differential association theory weaknesses
-doesn’t explain why people who are exposed to criminality don’t commit crime
-focuses on petty crimes - ignores crimes such as WCC
-socially sensitive and could lead to stereotyping e.g if family are criminals they may be labelled
Eysenck’s personality theory strengths
-says the tendencies can be found in childhood which means we can prevent it
-offers practical measures for tackling criminality
Eysenck’s personality theory weaknesses
-got his results from a questionnaire meaning people could lie so its low in validity
-doesn’t clearly state what’s meant by psychopathy
-research doesnt support arguments for all 3 traits as offenders score high on psychoticism ands neuroticism but extroversion is mixed
-responses can vary depending on mood and peoples views can change over time
-unrepresentative sample - studied people with similar personalities
Lombroso’s atavistic form strengths
-most of the criminals he studied in prison had the characteristics
-made the study of criminality more scientific
-starting point of modern criminology
Lombroso’s atavistic form weaknesses
-ignores women
-not everyone with the features are criminals
-didnt compare his findings to non-criminals
Sheldon’s somatotypes strengths
-studied a large group size so generalisable
-Hartl et al found a mesomorphic rating of 5 out of the most seriously delinquent in his sample
Sheldon’s somatotypes weaknesses
-ignores women
-more than 3 body types
-not all mesomorphs are criminals
-body types may change
Twin studies strengths
-if MZ rate is higher than DZ then it proves that there is some cause of genetic
Twin studies weaknesses
-if not 100% concordance rate then its not fully genetics
-much of research was flawed
Adoption studies strengths
-research evidence from Crowe who found 50% of children with a criminal mother had a criminal record by 18
Adoption studies weaknesses
-may not be criminality that’s inherited but other factors e.g alcoholism
-many children art adopted at birth so could’ve been affected by adoption centre
XYY strengths
-1 in 1000 in general population but 15 in 1000 in prison - shows some correlation
-easy to test
XYY weaknesses
-not all criminals have XYY
-ignores women
-may be learning difficulties associated with XYY not the actual condition
Brain trauma strengths
- scientifically proven by Phineas Gage who’s personality completely changed
Brain trauma weaknesses
-unethical to conduct research on those with brain injuries
Biochemical explanations strengths
-can explain addictions
-can be treated with SSRI’s to increase serotonin and therefore decrease aggression
Biochemical explanations weaknesses
-doesn’t show causation only correlations
-reductionist - overlooks environmental factors
Right realism strengths
-studies support rational choice theory - degree of punishment does affect whether people commit crimes
-explains opportunist petty crimes e.g theft
Right realism weaknesses
-not all crimes are rational some are impulsive
-not all single parent families have delinquent children
Left realism strengths
-explores role of victims
-recognises multiple causes of crime
-avoids blaming police
-draws attention to importance of poverty inequality and relative deprivation in causing crime
Left realism weaknesses
-not all deprived people commit crime
-makes crime seem to be a bigger issue
-doesnt explain WCC or corporate crime
-solutions art a quick fix - cultural change is needed to close gaps in society
Labelling theory strength
-shows how law isn’t a fixed set of rules to be taken for granted but are socially constructed
-shows how police create crime by labelling criminals
-shows how attempts to control deviance can create deviancy amplification
-explains high rate of re-offending
Labelling theory weaknesses
-too deterministic - assumes once you’re labelled its inevitable
-fails to explain why people commit crime before being labelled
-doesn’t explain why labels are given to certain groups
-ignores victims
Subcultural theory strengths
-shows how subcultures perform a function for their members by offering solutions to the problems of failing to achieve mainstream goals legitimately
-shows how different types of neighbourhoods give rise to different illegitimate opportunities and different subcultures
Subcultural theory weaknesses
-ignores crime of wealthy and over predicts amounts of w/c crime
-assumes everyone has mainstream goals and turn to subcultures when they don’t achieve them when some don’t have goals to begin with and turns to crime for other reasons
-subcultures arnt that clear-cut
Strain theory strengths
-shows how both normal and deviant behaviour arise from same goals - conformists and innovators pursue money but by different means
-explains why most crimes are property crimes as society values wealth so highly as they have less opportunity to obtain wealth legitimately
Strain theory weaknesses
-ignores crime of wealthy and over predicts amounts of w/c crime
-sees deviance as an individuals response ignoring criminal subcultures
-focuses on utilitarian crime e.g theft and ignores crime with no economic motive e.g vandalism
Functionalist theory strength
-recognises crime can be positive as it shows others what’s right and wrong
Functionalist theory weaknesses
-fails to explain why certain social groups commit crimes e.g poor EMG’s
-doesnt consider that not all crimes are beneficial for society
-suggests society is usually in a state of social harmony and so it ignores important role of social class conflict and inequality in society as a cause of crime
Marxist theory strengths
-provides an explanation for crime that covers all social classes and offences
-highlights impact of selective law enforcement
-shows how law reflects differences in power between social class and how inequality can lead to criminality
Marxist theory weaknesses
-ignores factors such as gender and ethnicity
-overstates amount of crime in w/c communities and not all capitalist societies have high crime rates e.g Japans crime rate is 1/5 of Americas
-lots of people are prosecuted for WCC such as Bernie Madoff
