positivism Positivism empirical scientific investigation for the improvement of society Premises of positivism o Measurement objectivity causality Focus on the actor not the criminal act In criminology criminal behavior is determined by forces outside individual control o Biological psychological social Scientific method The theories we develop must be tested against our observations of the world Views the world in a systematic perspective Types of positivist criminology Biological theories o Early work Body typing bigger people commit more crime Lombroso and atavism Phrenology Hereditary studies o Family twin adoption studies The influence of Cesare Lombroso Challenged the view that criminals were rational self interested individuals Argued that criminals were not normal and were biologically different from noncriminals o Criminals were genetic throwbacks or primitive people in the midst of modern society o Described criminals as atavistic The primitive savage state of the individual compels them to commit crime Types of positivist criminology Psychological theories o Learning and behavioral psychology Operant conditioning o Personality traits and crime o Intelligence and crime feeblemindedness bio psych theories and policy biological execution psychological sociological theories management o steralization chemical castration brain surgery o steralization isolation CBT in prison anger crime causation is in the social environment examples o societal conditions o community disorganization o peer networks movement from biological to sociological theories individualsistic theories of crime were dominant into the early 20th century o ignored larger forces in society that could influence the U S changed from a land of small communities to a land dominated by crowded cities o sociologists argued these changes and forces outside the individual influenced crime and behavior Anomie and Strain theories Challenge biologically based theories o Argue internal drives and motives aren t implicated in crime crime Rather the motivation for crime is derived form society o Societal forces pressure us to commit crime o Interested in looking at the social structure of the united states it pressures people into committing crime Anomie theories Mertons 1938 anomie theory o Argues the U S places a relatively strong emphasis on the goal of monetary success but a weak emphasis on the legitimate norms ex education hard work for achieving this goal o The goal seeking behavior of individuals is subject to less regulation they will achieve by any means necessary Classic Strain theory Focuses on the micro level o Explains why individuals and groups within a society are more likely to engage in crime o Argues individuals are pressured into crime when prevented from achieving cultural goals through legitimate channels o In the U S everyone is encouraged to pursue monetary success but some are prevented from achieving that success through legitimate means Merton social structure and anomie strain theory The gap between the cultural goals and the institutionalized means puts strain on individuals Individuals can adapt in 5 ways culture and institutionalized means o Conformity doing it the right way motivated to succeed and do it the right way by going to school etc o Innovation run some sort of scam to get money find some sort of way to get their goal of wealth o Ritualism o Retreatism someone who dropped out of system doesn t care anymore maybe a big drug user o Rebellion might still have goal of achieving success or The Chicago school might not Began in 1920 s Shaw Mckay social disorganization theory o Informal social control o Human nature assumption Sampson et al collective efficacy and crime We need to be controlled from committing crime Collective efficacy is the willingness of people living in neighborhoods to 1 exercise informal social control if you see someone outside doing something wrong how willing are you to do something about it and 2 trust and help one another Enriched the social disorganization perspective in two ways o Added the element that neighbors must mutually trust eachother o Envisions collective efficacy as a dynamic factor Resource that can be mobilized activated when Control theories the need arises Unlike strain and cultural deviance theories control theories do not see humans as blank slates onto which society writes its script Control theories argue it is human nature for people to naturally break the law Instead of asking why a person is compelled to commit crime it asks why aren t we all committing crime right now o What is preventing us from acting on the impulse to Social control theories commit crime Travis hirschi 1969 causes of delinquency Delinquency happens when a person s bonds to society are weakened Why do we conform o Strong social bonds o Maintain stake in conformity Elements of the social bond o Attachment commitment involvement belief Attachment youre attached to parents and family don t want to disappoint them you care about what they think Belief looking at own personal values you believe law is important and respect police etc Learning to be criminal criminal behavior This group of theories argues people learn to engage in Born as a blank slate and whatever you re exposed to influences your future actions Learning theories Sutherland 1920s differential association o Criminology should have sociological tradition o Nine propositions Become delinquent when have an excess of definitions favorable to breaking the law o Youths learn delinquency from delinquent peers Sociological theories and policy o Strain anomie increase legitimate opps o Social disorganization improve community relationships strengthen social bonds o Social control parent training o Learning big brother big sister teaches kid so theyre not so exposed to delinquent values
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