CRIM 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Anomie, Sociological Perspectives, Noxious Stimulus

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRIM 101
• Professor: Adrienne Peters

Document Summary

General (rather than individual) explanations of crime patterns. Theories should also be falsifiable - we should be able to test or measure them. A presumption of guilt, unless proven innocent. Confession of guilt, or proof of innocence, through inquisition, often involving torture. Physical torture as punishment for the few crimes that did not result in the death penalty. Torture was unfair - confession might have nothing to do with innocence or guilt. If you were innocent, you were tortured anyway; if you were guilty, you were tortured too, usually twice. The death penalty was used often at random. Limitations on the severity of punishment (different degree of crime, different punishment) The duration of punishment as a more effective deterrent. Public (visible) punishment as a more effective deterrent. People were rational, and exercised free will. Would employ a hedonistic calculus in deciding whether a certain action was more likely to result in pleasure than in pain.