CRIM 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Canadian Studies, Chromosome, Y Chromosome
8 Jun 2018
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Department
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Professor
●Wolfgang noted that the victim might make initial threats, strike the first blow, or be the first to
produce a weapon
●In a much-criticized 1971 study, Menachem Amir argued that sexual assault victims might
precipitate their own victimization, by dressing provocatively, talking provocatively, or engaging
in risky behaviours
●Permissive environs = permissive or informal environments such as parties, bars, street corners,
or at home, where individuals would be drinking and partying.
Types of Deviant Transactions
1. Individual deviance = transaction that can be accomplished by a person on their own (e.g. taking
illegal drugs or committing suicide)
2. Deviant exchange = transaction in which two or more individuals voluntarily exchange illicit
goods or services (e.g. buying or selling drugs, or prostitution services)
3. Deviant exploitation = illicit transaction in which a deviation use stealth, trickery or physical
force to compel another person to surrender goods or services (e.g. armed robbery)
Lecture 4: Theories of Crime
Why we need theory
- We have all heard expressions such as “theoretically speaking” or “it sounds good in theory”,
implying that theory doesn’t necessarily work in practice
- However, all of the chapters in the textbook have theoretical underpinnings
- Without a theoretical foundation, we have ungrounded, fragmented
It sounds good in theory
- Theories seen as fanciful ideas, that have little to do with reality
- Armchair speculation, generated by people sitting in ivory towers (Akers & Sellers, 2009)
We All Know What Causes Crime
●Everyone has an opinion
●Crime is caused by lack of morals
●Crime is caused by poor parenting
●Crime is caused by hanging out with the wrong crowd
●Crime is caused by drug use
Generalizations
●Generalizations, based on "common sense" or “intuition” are too simplistic to make good
theories
●The majority of children from "bad homes" do not go on to become criminals
●Some children from "good homes" with strong religious or moral values go do on to become
criminals
What is a “Good” Theory?
●To be “good,” a theory must be logical, with premises that support a conclusion
●“Good theory should make statements or propositions about reality that can be tested”
●Many criminological theories have been successfully tested multiple times, in many different
countries, at different periods of history
●Good theories are parsimonious- if two theories explain the same phenomenon equally
effectively, scientists prefer the one that offers the simplest and most straightforward
explanation (this tenet is known as “Occam’s Razor”)
The Significance of Social Context
●Positivist School notion of criminality as inherited (genetic) propensity was reflection of what
was going on in mid-to late- 1800’s, e.g. Darwin’s theory of evolution, Mendel 1865 work on
genetics, and then current developments in fields of physical anthropology, medicine, and
psychiatry
●Chicago School view of criminality as a product of the social environment was shaped by rapid
urbanization around the globe in the 1800s and 1900s, by the emergence of the discipline of
sociology in the 1890s, and by social forces such as the Progressive Movement
Criminological Theory and Public Policy
●Criminological theories have had and continue to have a substantial impact on public policy
●Classical School recommendations re: need for due process, use of imprisonment as a form of
punishment, and limitations on severity of punishment found their way into US Constitution,
English Penitentiary Act
, and French criminal code
●Early Positivist School theorists endorsed the “medical model”— the notion that criminals were
sick and in need of treatment, giving rise to a number of prison reforms and new emphasis on
rehabilitation
Social Context of the Classical School
●“Prior to the emergence of the Classical School, it was generally believed that criminals were
possessed by evil spirits, or demons”
●Classical School emerged during Enlightenment (also known as The Age of Reason), bracketed by
English Revolution of 1689 at one end, French revolution of 1789 at the other, with American
Revolution of the 1770s in-between
●It was during this period that Newton discovered the laws of gravity, Voltaire argued against
superstition (e.g. religion), Rousseau wrote about “the social contract”, Adam Smith inquired
into “the nature and causes of the wealth of nations”
Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham
●Two most well-known Classical School theorists (of relevance to criminology) were Cesare
Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham
●Their works used concepts such as hedonism, utilitarianism, free will, human beings as rational,
logical actors
●Hedonism=
refers to view that humans will naturally seek pleasure and avoid pain
●Utilitarianism= suggests that actions of governments and individuals should be measured in
terms of their utility-i.e. How much pleasure they bring, how many people benefit (derive
pleasure) from these actions
Cesare Beccaria
●Argued against secret accusations and use of torture, insisting accused individuals should have
the right to know their accusers and right to a fair trial
●“Was an opponent of the death penalty, arguing that punishment should be proportional to the
crime”
Jeremy Bentham
●Argued that humans are rational, free-willed actors (not possessed by demons or evil spirits)
●Didn’t believe in the fact that genes can influence behaviour
●Human behaviour is governed by hedonistic (pleasure-pain) calculus
●Punishment should be restricted only to amount required to achieve deterrence
Sentencing and Deterrence
●Classical School focused on law making and legal process
Document Summary
Wolfgang noted that the victim might make initial threats, strike the first blow, or be the first to produce a weapon. In a much-criticized 1971 study, menachem amir argued that sexual assault victims might precipitate their own victimization, by dressing provocatively, talking provocatively, or engaging in risky behaviours. Permissive environs = permissive or informal environments such as parties, bars, street corners, or at home, where individuals would be drinking and partying. We have all heard expressions such as theoretically speaking or it sounds good in theory , implying that theory doesn"t necessarily work in practice. However, all of the chapters in the textbook have theoretical underpinnings. Without a theoretical foundation, we have ungrounded, fragmented. Theories seen as fanciful ideas, that have little to do with reality. Armchair speculation, generated by people sitting in ivory towers (akers & sellers, 2009) Crime is caused by lack of morals. Crime is caused by hanging out with the wrong crowd.
