CCJ 215 1st Edition Exam # 2 Study GuideCriminogenic media- refers to media content that is hypothesized as a direct cause of crime. Does exposure to media precede or parallel aggressive or criminal behavior? Common portrait of a criminal in the media - Psychotic super-male criminals- generally possess an evil, cunning intelligence and superior strength, endurance, and stealth, crime is an act of twisted, lustful revenge or a random act of irrational violence o EX: a historical trend has been to present psychotic criminals as more and more violent (such as shower murder in Alfred Hitchcock’s film the Psycho)- Business and Professional criminals- best known though the many media portrayals of organized crime, these portraits are characterized as shrewd, ruthless, often violent ladies’men. o The core message is that crime is simply another form of work or business, essentially similar to other careers but often more exciting and rewarding if, perhaps, more violent. - Victims and heroic criminals- represent an alternative perspective that supports sociological and political explanations. Although the criminal as hero and the criminal as These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.victim appeared early and have represented regularly though-out the history of the media,such narratives have always been less frequent in number than those of the criminal as a psychopath or professional. o EX: “Robin Hood” criminality narrative supports strain, blocked opportunity, labeling and critical criminology theories. Rational Choice Theories-which state that there is no cause of crime and no difference between the law-abiding and the criminals. Crime is seen simply as a rational, free will decision that individuals will make when the gains from committing a crime outweigh the likely punishment from criminal it.EX: criminals are essentially normal people making bad decisions Biological Theories- which place the cause of the crime on the innate genetic or constitutional nature of criminals. Criminal justice policies associated with biological theories of crime focus on the medical interventions and control of procreation. Freud- Being the best known, these theories explain criminality as the result of mental deficiencies or criminal personalities. EX: Look at Psychological theories!Psychological Theories- which view crime as caused by defective personality development. Based on the work of various psychoanalytic and personality development theorists. Sigmund Freud said criminality as the result of mental deficiencies or criminal personalities. EX: People commit crime because their “personality” is ill formed. Also the movie psycho!Sociological Theories-social groups are the loci of the basic cause of crime. Criminals are criminals because of the people they associate with, or share a neighborhood or culture with. EX: normal people are forced or steered into crime by their social circumstances Political Theories- which emphasize the political and economic structure of a society as the root cause of crime. The distribution of political power; unequal access to influence and material goods; and racism, oppression, sexism, and elitism are all central to these theories. Copycat crimes- it must have been inspired by an earlier, media- publicized or generator crime- that is there must be a pair or crimes linked through the media. The perpetrator of a coycat crime must have been exposed to the media content of the original crime and must have incorporated major elements of that crime into his or her crime. EX: the choice of victim, the motivation, or the technique in a copycat crime must have been lifted from the earlier, media-detailed crime.Priming mechanism- the portrayals of certain behaviors in the media activate a cluster of associated ideas within the potential copycat offender that increase the likelihood that he or she will behave similarly but not necessarily identically. EX: Thus after viewing violent media, individuals will be primed to have more hostile thoughts, to see aggression as justified, and to behave more aggressively. Another Definition- priming can be understood as providing a set of ideas and beliefs that construct a particular social reality- the perception that the nature of the world is such that a particular type of crime is appropriate, justified, likely to be successful. Robert Merton - Strain TheoryCultural goals are statues and wealth Job, family, toys, new cars---- GoalsThe institutional way to get there is – training and or collegeAlbert Bandura- We are not born as aggressive people We learn it by observational learning “imitate” The bobo doll experiment Children observe then imitateHyperreality- a postmodern sense of the real that accounts for out loss of certainty on being able to distinguish clearly between reality and its representation, and in being able to distinguish clearly between the modes of its representation Mapp v. OhioEstablished the Exclusionary RuleIf any evidence is found in violation of the Fourth Amendment, it will be excluded from the case Two ways to get searched Someone giving permission A warrantPortrayal of female attorneys- the media construction of the female lawyer frequently assumes the incompatibility of the social roles of attorney and woman. Media trials- some selected cases become multimedia, pop culture bonanzas, generating enormous markets, profits and spinoffs for news, entertainment, and infotainment media. These judicial miniseries have become the most important single contributor to the social construction of the courts In America Media trials and abuse of power- those cases in which the defendant occupies a position of trust, prestige, or authority. The general rule is the higher the rank, the more media interest in the case. Media trials and sinful rich- include cases in which socially prominent defendant are involved in bizarre or sexually related crimes. These trials have a voyeuristic appeal, and the media coverageaims to persuade the public that they are being given a rare glimpse into the backstage sordid world of the upper class and powerful.EX: Love triangles, deviant sex, and inheritance-motivated killing among the rich and famous are pri ary examplesEvil strangers- is composed of two subgroups: o Non-Americans- evil stranger’s media trial may involve- depending on the time and political