Revisiting Criminological Theories Flashcards
How do you determine a good theory?
Testability
The best fit to research evidence (consistent with the principles of the theory)
Sensitizing qualities
Logical soundness
Popularity
Can make conflicting positions
How to distinguish between the levels of abstractions
Macro theories explain crime rates
Microtheories explain individual behaviour
Macro theories can contain bridging & macro theories
Failure to distinguish can mean incompatible theories are compared to each other
What are the contexts of criminological theory?
There are important influences behind every theory, this is called the context in which the theory was developed
If you know the context, you can better understand it
What are the links between theory, research, and policy?
Theory is the start of the relationship
A theory provides the elements that allow us to develop a research plan
Research tests the theory and guides us to policy development
Research that is based on theory, guides the development of policy
Policy can be evaluated with research which may indicate theory needs to be revised
Classical Criminology (1800s)
Foundations of our current criminal justice system, due to it being all about human rights, pain and pleasure principle
Not a theory about crime, but about the reformation of our system
Implementing a new set of ideas
Punishment has to fit the crime, it can’t be worse
Utilitarian
Policy Implications - Lots of speeders on the road so they put a camera in to help deter people away from it
Addressing the brutality of our justice system
Positivist Criminology
Lombrosso said that people are born with differences that can say whether they can be deviant or not
Approach to the study of scientific methods to reveal the true nature of how society operates
Brain structure would be different
The individual-based theory did not take into account environmental factors like we do today
Experts are scientists, psychologists, and anyone in the medical field (knowledge, treatment people)
Critique more focused on biological factors
The Chicago school
Concentric Zone -> the zones around the city
Criminology started to emerge
Social disorganization
Criminality is influenced by the social structure of our society, the places that have social structure are good but then the ones with more social disorganization are where there is more crime, more poor people
The biological point of it is stupid and we need to look more at the social structure, the area
It isn’t the person we identify but it’s the area they live in that explains criminality
Introduced us to a symbolic approach
Can explain gangs, immigrant groups joining
Ethnographic research
Broken windows theory - policy implications
Ecological perspective - areas have higher levels of crime than others
Anomie Theory
Merton - Strain Theory
Durkheim - Anomie
Anomie is the state or normalness
Society is based on contract relationship
Focuses on culture
Strain theory is the goals and means of society
Subcultural Theories
Focused on gangs
Why do gangs formulate in our society?
Middle-class measuring rod leads to status frustration which leads to reactive formation
Focused on youth/minorities gangs, integrated ganga, urban cities
Criminal, retreats, subculture g=angs
Minor crimes, truancy
Social Learning Theory
Crime just like any other behaviour is learned
Socialization
Policy implications - increase the social services available like rehab, and school learning programs
Differential association theory
Explain how your environment can influence you to commit a crime
Socialization/institutionalization
Labelling Theory
The power of a label
Labels can be positive or negative
Self-fulfilling prophecy
It is a social reaction to people’s behaviour - the main focus
Sensitizing theory
Master status (more of an impact than any other label)
Social Control Theory
Infromal social control
Inner and outer containment
Ties to the social bonds
Why do people obey the laws
The stronger the bonds we have in society should lessen our chance of engaging in criminal activity
Aging gets people away from crime, more focused on family
Social Conflict Theory
Marxist theories focus not on individual pathologies but on social, political, and economic structures that give rise to crime
Analyze the relationship between crime and the social world
Look at the bougereses and proletariate
Corporate crime has a far greater negative impact on society compared to “street crime”
