CRI205H1 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Toronto, Criminology, Classical Mechanics
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
CRI205H1
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
LECTURE 1:
What is criminology?
• The study of criminal behaviour
• The body of knowledge regarding crime as a social phenomenon. It includes within its scope the
process of making laws, breaking laws and reacting toward the breaking of laws
• an OBJECTIVE SOCIAL SCIENCE, as such, it involves
1. The formulation of research hypothesis and
2. The development of theory
3. The collection of info to test research hypotheses
4. The evolution of research findings
Areas of Criminological Inquiry
• The Criminal Law: A) Law creation: the role social forces play in shaping the criminal law and B)
The law in action: the role that the criminal law plays in shaping society
• Crime statistics: A) How common is criminal behaviour? B) What social factors are related to
crime? C) How does the extent and nature of crime change through time?
• Crime causation: Why do some people commit criminal acts? Why do most people obey the law?
Micro (individual), Meso (group) and macro (structural) levels of explanation
• Victimology: A) What are the causes of victimization? B) How can society help crime victims?
• The Operation of the criminal justice system: The nature and operation of A) the police, B) the
criminal courts, and C) the correctional system
Crime or Deviance?
• Uncommon Behaviours: Are all uncommon activities crime? Are all crimes uncommon?
• Voluntary (FIRST DEGREE MURDER) vs. Involuntary behaviours (MANSLAUGHTER)
• Harmful vs. harmless behaviour
• The social context of behaviour (ARBITRARILY PUNCHING SOMEONE IN THE FACE VS A FIGHT IN A
HOCKEY ARENA - CONTEXT MATTERS)
**see John Hagen's typology of Deviance**
Types of crime and deviance:
1. Consensus crime (rape, murder, robbery)
2. Social deviations (alcoholism, bisexuality)
3. Social diversions (body piercing, cross- dressing)
4. Conflict crimes (pornography, prostitution)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Definition of crime:
• Crime is a violation of a criminal law that has been defined by the state
Definition of criminal law:
• A set of rules legislated by the state in the name of society enforced by the state through the
threat or application of punishment. The criminal code of Canada defines a crime as an intentional
violation of the criminal law without defense or excuse.
Types of Law:
• Criminal Law: substantive i.e. identifying which behaviours ARE a crime. AND procedural law i. e.
HOW the law is enforced, your right to receive council, your right not to incriminate yourself - how
the criminal justice system operates ; summary and indictable offences
• Civil Law (property, family, contract, tort law, municipal bylaws, business regulations)
• Unlike civil law, criminal law does not provide victims with restitution. The criminal law sees the
violation as a violation against the state or government, not YOU - that's why you don't get
restitution from the state.
Conflict vs Consensus Conceptions of the law
• Mala in Se (behaviours that are bad in and of themselves; consensus crimes - no debate about
whether
Consensus perspective
Basic Assumptions:
• People agree on what is repugnant or evil
• The law is fair and impartial
• People are treated fairly under the law
• Consensus view points predominates in north American Criminology
Conflict perspective
Basic assumptions:
• Laws reflect the power structure of society
• Laws protect vested interests
• Law enforcement targets the underdog, not the powerful
• Focus should be on the crimes of the rich
E.g. environmental crime, treatment of workers, consumer fraud, crimes against humanity
Interactionist perspective
Basic Assumptions
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Measurement strategies for criminologists: official crime data. Survey data: court data, corrections data, historical analysis, content analysis, case studies. Limited generalizability and reliability: potential for subject reactivity, risks to researcher and. Topics to be discussed: what do we know about crime, measurement strategies for criminologists, quantitative vs. qualitative approaches, official data, unofficial data, ethnography / field observations, content analysis, trends / moving forward. In order for a crime to take place there must be a convergence in time and place of: a motivated offender; 2) a suitable target; and 3) a lack of capable guardians. They have a sense of community and morals. anomie theory rules of behaviour become inoperative. Anomie occurs (cid:449)hen society loses control o(cid:448)er ppl"s goals and desires. parents inflict certain goals on kids: go to school, become successful, social status. : you go to church with someone, and school with the(cid:373), a(cid:374)d work, = that"s 3 stra(cid:374)ds. Cri205 lectures 1 6 fall-winter 2017 2018 term.
