Long-Term Life Course Effects

Question 1

What is life course theory in criminology & 2 key concept that define it?

Answer 1

criminal behaviour follows a distinct pattern across the life cycle (may change throughout time)

Transitions - Landmarks that standout in a persons life time; status change
e.g. (driving license, graduating high school, voting for the first time, first ‘real’ job)

Trajectories Aspects of individual’s lives over time
e.g. (employment history, relationships [marriage and family], education, involvement in a sport or hobby)

Question 2

Describe 2 types of longitudinal designs

Answer 2

○ Cohort - tracks groups of individual’s (cohorts) over an extended period of time
§ E.g. Grade 8 students

○ Panel study - tracks individuals over time
§ E.g. looking at one persons progress throughout their lifetime

Question 3

Describe retrospective research

Answer 3

asking the same people questions; recall questions (e.g. what was the relationship with your mother like 5 years ago?)

○ Issue: difficult to recall specific details; attitudes change over time
○ More cost effective than panel or cohort studies
§ Panel studies have a higher chance of attrition - dropping out of study

Question 4

Based on their work, what did the Gluecks conclude about why some kids in the same social class were criminal while others were not?

Answer 4

• Emphasized the importance of behaviour as a function of the environment & the person (notion put forth by Lewin)
• looked at body types of youth to determine differences (mesomorphs more likely to engage in criminal behaviour)

-Based on genetics, delinquents may be predisposed to certain behaviours, however the environment can trigger the onset of such behaviours
E.g. family life, school, employment, etc.

Question 5

How does the latent trait of low self control & age graded theory of informal social control explain juvenile delinquency?

Answer 5

Latent Trait of Low Self-Control: impulsive, risk-seeking, instant gratification, temperamental
- career criminals

Age graded theory of informal social control: suggests that turning points (employment, children, marriage) explain changes in criminal behaviour & leads to greater self-control

Question 6

What is Moffitts theory of delinquency?

Answer 6

at-risk youths can be divided into two groups:

• Life Course Persistent: small group (10%); long criminal career; problematic backgrounds (social, psychological, neurological).
  ○ Low-self control individual’s
  ○ High levels of recidivism
• Adolescent Limited: much larger group (90%); age out of crime in late teens/early 20s; “normal” youth; commit crimes such as underage drinking, joy riding, stealing liquor from parents. Maturity gap.
  ○ Deviant activities had unintended positive consequence - “normal” youth had better social skills & performed better in life than those who didn’t engage in such behaviours

Question 7

How did Pederson et al. change the course of Moffitts theory?

Answer 7

Moffitt contends that deviant activities during adolescence have unintended positive consequences to social development

Pedserson et al. contradict such idea by stating that Isolated (conformists) kids did better in life than deviant kids

Question 8

In Tanner & Davies test of labelling theory, did kids who got caught have worse life outcomes than those who didn’t?

Answer 8

• The findings generally support labelling theory.
• Severe forms of labeling like incarceration had the strongest negative effects; role played by education
• society places label on deviant youth causing youth to internalize the label & become isolated from society
• labelling leads to stigmatization