Unit 1 - Criminology

Introduce Yourself

Read Chapter 1

Pardicipate in the Discusion

Attend Seminar

Complete the Quiz – Please note that you can only take it once.

***Email the professor with any questions regarding expectations.

Introduction

Your professor is traveling out of town on business but will not miss any other

seminar; she looks forward to getting to know you all of you. Be sure to answer in

the intro section so youcan all get to know one another!

What is Crime?

…?

Deviance vs. Crime

• Criminologists view deviant behavior as any action that departs from the social norms of society

• Deviance thus includes a broad spectrum of behaviors ranging from the most socially harmful to the relatively inoffensive

• A deviant act becomes a crime when it is deemed socially harmful or dangerous; it then will be specifically defined, prohibited, and punished under the criminal law.

• A crime is a violation of societal rules of behavior as interpreted and expressed by the criminal law, which reflects public opinion, traditional values, and the viewpoint of people currently holding social and political power. Individuals who violate these rules are subject to sanctions by state authority, social stigma, and loss of status.

Consensus View of Crime

• The law defines crime• Agreement exists on outlawed behavior• Laws apply to all citizens equally

Conflict View of Crime

• The law is a tool of the ruling class• Crime is a politically defined concept• “Real crimes,” such as racism, sexism, and

classism, are not outlawed• The law is used to control the underclass

Interactionist View of Crime

• Moral entrepreneurs define crime• Acts become crimes because society

defines them that way• Criminal labels are life-transforming

events

Criminology

• Is an integrated approach to the study of the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior

Schools of Criminological Thought

• Classical• Positivist• Sociological• Conflict• Developmental• Contemporary

Classical Criminology

The theoretical perspective suggesting that:• People have free will to choose criminal or

conventional behaviors• People choose to commit crime for reasons

of greed or personal need• Crime can be controlled only by the fear of

criminal sanctions

Positivist Criminology

• Began during the 19th century• Uses the scientific method of the natural

sciences and suggests that human behavior is a product of social, biological, psychological, or economic forces

Sociological Criminology

• This approach focuses on the relationship between social factors and crime

• Crime is not a function of personal characteristics but a social phenomenon that can be reduced by improving social and economic conditions

Conflict Theory

• Advanced by Karl Marx, this approach suggests that human behavior is shaped by interpersonal conflict and those who maintain social power use it to further their own ends

Developmental Criminology

• Began during the 20th century• An integration of sociological,

psychological, and economic elements came together to form the perspective that criminality is a dynamic process influenced by social experiences as well as individual characteristics

Contemporary Criminology

• Various schools over the past 200 years have resulted in a number of contemporary theories:

• Rational choice• Trait• Social structure• Social process• Critical• Developmental

What Criminologists Do

• Potential areas of specialization:• Criminal statistics• Sociology of the law• Theory construction• Criminal behavior systems• Penology• Victimology

What do you think?

• How do the different theories of crime influence the current CJ system?

Conclusions

• Any questions? Email the prof. if you think of something after seminar!

• Challenge for the week: note a news story about crime and consider what theory may explain the criminal actions.