SOC205H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Cesare Lombroso, Social Disorganization Theory, Social Darwinism
Document Summary
The enduring legacy of classical (and neo-classical) criminological theories. Classical school: assumes everyone is rational and acts upon free will. Positivist: crime is the product of specific individuals in particular contexts, a mixture of internal and external factors. Early examples in literature connects the body through the ideas of beauty and ugliness to good and evil behaviour. Predicting and understand crime at the micro level vs. making a better legal and criminal justice system. Criminologist often lose sight of their attempt to build evidence based on critiques of how society is set up. Biological: lombroso"s criminal man/woman and sheldon"s body type theory. Psychological: personality disorders and abnormal psychology and mental illness. Social/structural: social disorganization theory, sutherland"s differential association, merton"s strain theory. Often focuses on the definition of crime. Focus on social relations that affect power biological, psychological, or social explanations typically assume society is based on consensus and inequality. Typically assume society is based on conflict.
