Introduction to Criminology Exam 2 Study Guide Names Beccaria An essay on crimes and punishments 1764 Cesare Beccaria Revolutionary document Informed the US constitution Banned the Vatican First scientific approach to crime Ideas are at the foundation of nearly ALL modern criminal justice Deterrence derives policy An essay on crimes and punishments Authored by Cesare Beccaria in 1764 Major influence on US criminal justice system Concept of deterrence Beccaria s arguments Everyone is motivated to engage in crime though the pursuit of their self interest People are rational and engage in crime to Minimize their pain and maximize their pleasure Whether people engage in crime is largely dependent of the Swiftness Certainty Severity of punishment appropriate severity Concept of deterrence Swiftness Certainty Severity Swiftness of punishment builds an association between the pains of punishment and their criminal acts Most important aspect according to beccaria Scientific studies show that perceived certainty or risk of punishment is the most important aspect of deterrence For punishment to be effective the possible penalty must outweigh the potential benefits of a given crime However too much severity would lead to more crime i e 3 strikes laws if punishments are very severe men are naturally led to the perpetration of other crimes to avoid the punishment due to the first Lombroso 1859 Cesare Lombroso Italian prison physician The born criminal have the signs of someone who will commit a crime in the future you have failed to evolve you are a brute Atavism biological throwback back to caveman like characteristics Measured numerous physical attributes like sloping forehead shoulders ear placement skull size arm leg jaw length Problem determinism from the day you are born it is determined whether or not you will be a criminal Criticisms of the Theory Charles Goring s The English Convict Used the newly invented correlation coefficient mathematically determines the strength or degree to which particular measurements of independent variable relates to the strength or degree of the dependent variable On several dimensions students at Cambridge scored higher on criminogenic factors than did those incarcerated therefore proving Lombroso wrong Problem biological criminology failed to account for a variety of social factors that influence criminality Nevertheless further development Somatotyping ectomorph mesomorph endomorph Everyone ranked 1 to 7 on these Mesomorph physical characteristics heavy chest predominance of muscle motor organs large wrist hands athletic build Corresponding temperament assertive and aggressive Biologically determined Genealogical Studies Early Genetics The Jukes 1000 descendants 280 paupers 60 thieves 7 murders 140 criminals 40 VD victims 50 prostitutes Kallikak families 2 marriages with different outcomes feebleminded barwench 480 descendants 24 alcoholics 8 ran brothels 3 criminals 3 epileptics respectable woman nearly all described as normal Showing there is a correlation between crime and genes Cesare Lomrose on criminal man 1876 Contained biological and evolutionary factors to explain criminality Lombroso classified criminals into 4 categories Born criminals atavistic characteristics Insane criminals i e idiots imbeciles Occasional criminals or criminaloids crime by opportunity and with innate predisposition Criminals of passion crime out of anger love honor Lombroso theory declined in the early 1900 s Lack of empirical support Concern with policy implications of the theory i e selective breeding and sterilization justification for racist policies Durkheim Sociological theories Durkheim father of sociology Social forces effects your behavior Emile Durkheim Context of his writings French revolution industrial revolution The nineteenth century in France was an age of great turmoil French revolution of 1789 The rapid industrialization of French society Impossible to find revolutions of comparable magnitude anywhere in human history Anomie A state where norms expectations on behaviors are confused unclear or not present Rules on how people ought to behave were breaking down People did not know what to expect from one another Individuals cannot find their place in society without clear rules to help guide them Examples Hurricane Katrina Great depression Social periods of disruption economic depression brought about greater anomie and higher rates of crime suicide and deviance Durkheim felt that sudden change caused a state of anomie The system breaks down resulting in anomie The system breaks down resulting in Anomie Can be During times of great prosperity During times of great depression Emile Durkheim division of labor 2 societies Mechanical society Characterized by uniformity of the lives work and beliefs of members Each social group in society is relatively isolated basically self sufficient Individuals live under identical circumstances There is little division of labor Different segments of society depend on each other in a highly organized division on labor No longer uniformity but diversity of functions of the parts of society Organic society Durkheim argued that all societies were at some stage between the mechanical and organic No society being totally one or the other Focused attention on the role that social forces play in determining human Impact of Durkheim conduct Phineas Gage Phineas Gage Railroad worker in early America Had a spike driven through his skull Changed his personality extremely Shows us that there is something on the innards showed that maybe physiognomy and phrenology might not be so off Travis Hirschi Hirschi and his former students Sampson Laub Primary question accounting for the age crime curve Debate cross sectional versus longitudinal data Static versus dynamic factors propensity v career criminals Control Hirschi two theories Social bond theory presented in 1969 in causes of delinquency Self control theory presented in 1990 in general theory of crime Hirschi 1969 social bonds and delinquency Argued criminological theories have a flowed premise Assume criminal behavior requires the creation of criminal motivation Hirschi believed criminal motivation is inherent in everyone All possess a drive to act in selfish and aggressive ways that lead to criminal behavior Humans seek gratifications and crime is often a means of gratification For Hirschi the proper theoretical question is why DON T people break the law Rather than other theories
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