Theories of Crime - Week 1 Flashcards
Theory
Set of interconnected statements - explains how 2 or more Events or factors are related to one other
Concrete theories
Personal experience / directly observed
Concrete Theories Example
Eating all Halloween candy at once we will feel sick
Throwing a baseball at the window will break the window
Abstract Theory
Involve multiple factors in connections between cause and affect may not be immediately observable
Example of Abstract Theory
Relationship between mental illness and stigma
Inductive Theory
The theory developed following repeated systemic observational phenomenon
Example of Inductive Theory
Interviewing members of youth gangs
Deductive Theory
Intuition or imagination and then tested for empirical validity
Types of criminological theory
3 Types
1) Biological theory
2) psychological theory
3) sociological theory
Biological & Psychological Theories
Primarily concern is explaining why people engage in behaviours of violate establish social norms
Sociological theories
Examine the violation of social norms in process by which some actions become defined as deviant or criminal
Sociological Theories
Some sociological theories concern are social factors that lead individuals to commit crimes while others are interested in explaining deviance is a process of active designation in which more powerful can actively define less powerful as deviants
Scope - Pervasiveness
Refers to a range of phenomena that a theory can explain
A theory that can explain wide range of crimes is more useful and probably better theory than one that only explains theft
Accuracy
Refers to the extent in which theory matches empirical reality and therefore allows us to make correct predictions
Accuracy Example
The theory stating criminal behaviour is the result of growing up in a poor neighbourhood would lead us to predict individuals growing up in a poor neighbourhood are more likely to engage in crime
Ontology
The study of being or existence
Categorization of the world as it appealed within framework of our science, society, historical period, etc.
Ontology Example
Development of microscope change ontology of scientific world
Epistemology
Defines how we can know about the world
Tools or understandings we used to find the truth and collect knowledge
what distinguishes true or good knowledge from false believes
Epistemological approach is generally classified as a rationalist or empiricist
Rationalists
Believe that knowledge is a product of rational reflection
Rationalists argue that we can use pure reason to define existence
Use reasoning to discover the truth
Mathematics and theories of physics rely on rationalist epistemology to make claims about reality that we cannot observe
Empiricist
Argue experience is a foundation of knowledge and understanding
Knowledge is product of sensory perception
Must be able to hear smell, touch, taste, or experience phenomenon in order to know about it
Concepts
Terms and ideas when is dealing with in theory May be concrete abstract and can be defined variably according to one's ontology or ideology Gender, alienation society, crime, deviance, class are all concepts used in criminology
Marcotheories
Broad in scope & best characterized as those explain social structure and it’s effects
Focus more on the rates of crime not on criminals & their behaviour
Microtheories
Theory based on assumptions that a particular way of characterizing society is best
Explains how people become criminals
Focus could be on specific groups usually they’re small groups or individuals
They may range from purely social to purely psychological
Not interested in social structure & crime rates
Social control and social learning theories
