CRM 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Juvenile Delinquency, Nikolas Rose, Offender Profiling
5 Jun 2018
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Biological and Psychological Perspectives
Central Ideas of Positivism:
● Scientific mentality of objectivism and linear progress.
○ Assumes you can use an unbiased and neutral lens
○ Assume positivist perspectives can somewhat be used interchangeably with
modernist views (with science and technology, things are going to keep getting
better)
○ As with the natural world, the social world is seen to obey general laws of
operation.
○ Crime is explained by reference to factors outside of individual decision-making.
○ Positivism represents a shift from theorizing or philosophizing to a more hands-
on scientific enterprise.
○ Shift from classical thinking to hands-on research
○ This marked a major break with the classical tradition that saw crime is a matter
of individual choice.
○ More concerned with something about the individual that predisposes them to be
a criminal, then we need to treat the criminal rather than just punishing them
○ Crime can be explained by examining individual differences and by
demonstrating how these are linked to certain biological or psychological factors
that predispose people toward criminal behaviour.
Social Context--Positivism Emerged in the 19th Century:
● Consolidation of capitalism and capitalist mode of production.
● Major technological development.
● Entrenchment of mass industrial production (rather than agricultural).
● Growth of urban centres.
● Growth of the labour movements, working class or proletariat as a distinct class (the
working class).
● New social class→ Proletariat
● Harsh living and working conditions (such as child labour).
● The influence of science and technology was immense.
○ The methods and concepts of science were being applied to the study of society.
○ Positivism is the belief that society is progressing ever forward, and that the
social scientist can understand how society works and ultimately overcome social
ills by using scientific methods.
■ Scientific method
● Darwin’s theory of evolution was misappropriated to:
○ Justify and explain colonialism and imperialism.
○ Promote racist biological determinism.
● Society is viewed as a type of organism made up of different components that worked
together.
● If one of the components is dysfunctional, then correction is required to restore social
equilibrium.
Positivism-- Definitions of Crime:
● Criminals are seen as deviant (criminal behaviour distinguished from ‘normal’
behaviour).
● Violation of social consensus (positivism assumes moral consensus exists about what
constitutes deviant behaviour).
● Is there a social consensus about deviance?
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Biological and Psychological Perspectives
○ J-walking is illegal but not socially deviant
● Is all deviance ‘wrong’?
○ Not all deviance is wrong, stealing bread because you’re poor
● Could there be deviance that benefits society?
○ Protesting- non violent methods of challenging society
● Crime and deviance can be studied in a scientific manner.
● Crime and deviance extend beyond a legal definition (such behaviour ranges outside
official violations of the law).
○ Might not be something that’s codified but still be viewed as wrong or deviant
Positivism-- Focus of Analysis:
● Focus is not on the criminal act but on the scientific study of the nature and faulty
characteristics of the offender (related to biological, psychological, or social factors).
● Differences that lead to criminal behaviour.
● Science can be used to diagnose, classify, and treat.
● Positivism also attempts to measure unrecorded crime and deviant behaviour (dark
figure of crime).
Positivism-- Causes of Crime:
● Pathology, illness, bio-chemistry, etc.
● Individual deficiency.
● Not a matter of individual choice.
● Determined by factors outside of an individual’s conscious control (biological,
psychological, social).
Positivism-- Nature of the Offender:
● Determined and/or predisposed to certain types of behaviour.
● Combination of biological, social, and psychological factors that manifest themselves in
individual differences.
Positivism-- Responses to Crime:
● Not focused on punishment.
● Focused on individualized treatment tailored to the diagnosis and classification of the
offender.
● Diagnosis is made on an individual basis.
● Length of custody should not depend solely on the nature of the criminal act committed.
● Indeterminate sentences to fit offender.
● What are some benefits of the positivist responses to crime?
● What are some limitations / challenges of the positivist responses to crime?
Positivism-- Crime Prevention:
● Focus on diagnosis and classification.
● Early intervention to prevent criminality or deviance.
● Identify cause and effect relationships so that crime can be predicted.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Scientific mentality of objectivism and linear progress. Assumes you can use an unbiased and neutral lens. Assume positivist perspectives can somewhat be used interchangeably with modernist views (with science and technology, things are going to keep getting better) As with the natural world, the social world is seen to obey general laws of operation. Crime is explained by reference to factors outside of individual decision-making. Positivism represents a shift from theorizing or philosophizing to a more hands- on scientific enterprise. Shift from classical thinking to hands-on research. This marked a major break with the classical tradition that saw crime is a matter of individual choice. More concerned with something about the individual that predisposes them to be a criminal, then we need to treat the criminal rather than just punishing them. Crime can be explained by examining individual differences and by demonstrating how these are linked to certain biological or psychological factors that predispose people toward criminal behaviour.
