Sociology 2266A/B Study Guide - Final Guide: White-Collar Crime, Psychopathy, Social Learning Theory
13 Dec 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Class 4 - psychology, personality disorders, psychopaths, and crime: part 1. Criminals are ordinary people who make different choices: the classical view. Criminals are ordinary people who face different personal/social problems: the sociological approach to crime. Criminals are different from ordinary people: psychological criminology. Psychological criminology focuses on the third hypothesis. Psychoanalytic theory: evolved from freud"s work, personality composed of three forces. Ego: rationality & decision-making; mediator between the id and the superego. Thus, the ego and superego are unable to control the aggressive, selfish instincts of the id: limitations. More of a story than a scientific theory since it"s very difficult to test empirically, because many of the underlying psychological processes are unconscious. How do we know if this theory is true or metaphor or if it"s just a story. Can"t count it as a scientific theory of crime.
