CRIM 2650 Lecture Notes - Uniform Crime Reports, Scientific Theory, Enterprise Value
Document Summary
What is theory: a conjuncture based on limited amount of knowledge. Scientific approach (facts) (accurate descriptions of the world its descriptive and predictive) criminology as social science, modeled on physical/natural sciences: reduce phenomenon to variables, and measure correlation between variables in order to come up with a theory. We measure poverty by looking at access to services for example. So poverty opens up questions of inequality, but you can have perceptions of being poor so you feel relatively poor in comparison to other people. We measure crime by uniform crime reports and victimization surveys. This is what it means by reducing phenomenon to variables: generalizability scientific theory"s are meant to have higher predictive potential predictability q: what is x? how does x work? why does x work that way, facts. Criminology as an ethical and legal enterprise. Values and ethics we choose policies based on our normative values. Goal: change criminal justice system (e. g. policy)
