Nature of Ideology Criminology exemplifies ideology criminological theories are an example of ideology All discourse all human nature can be understood as ideology When understood we have another tool for giving meaning to the discourse and communication we encounter The development of criminology as a discipline in ideological terms How criminological ideas constitute ideology Criminologist a knowing subject has ideas theories descriptions about crime law justice etc Impacted by real world circumstances experiences interests Job is to figure out how the world affects things attempt to detach self from personal real world circumstances experiences However social scientists are a reflection of their personal world Criminology as Ideology Appreciate how circumstances experiences interests serve as roots of criminological theories explanations Appreciate that ideas especially that explain why things happen have consequences for doing things in the real world provide leeway for action if THIS is the way things are then maybe we should do THIS Ideas are rooted in a partial reality the shared values we have as Americans Ex being denied insurance because a disease runs in your family IDEOLOGY THE USE OF REPORTS THAT JUSTIFY COMMANDS TO DO SOMETHING IN THE PUBLIC REALM THAT SERVES INTERESTS ROOTED IN PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES rational normative discourse communication Predicated on reports but CAN distort reality Reports statements about ideas about what is what was and what will be why things are how things are descriptive historical philosophical or explanatory Ex stats that show crime peaks b w ages 18 19 Serves as evidence for WHY we should do something Interests having a stake in the outcome of public action People in different circumstances have different interests though Like how we d love if tuition was lower because we pay it but Chiricos wouldn t like it because his salary comes out of tuition STAKE HIS SALARY WOULD CHANGE Interests are shaped by CIRCUMSTANCES Circumstances how you live where you live what you can can t do Classical Criminology as Evidence of Ideology Classical criminology wanted as little punishment intrusion on natural liberties as possible Jermey Bentham 1790s Cesare Beccaria wrote about the transition from feudalism to capitalism Circumstances that gave rise to Classical Criminology 1 Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism motivated by the Enlightenment which critiqued the monarch existing rules of order the church etc in relation to human nature The argument was that social order needed to change because it went against human nature 2 Imbalance of power Feudalism characterized by asymmetrical relation to power people got what they got because of WHO THEY WERE instead of what they DID Ex land ownership guilds a church mercantilism a system of large scale trade 3 Emergence of a New Class Bourgeoisie Bankers merchants traders people who got what they got because of what they could do in MARKETS Had nothing to do with law or land instead dealt with trading maximizing utility This class created an inherent uncertainty for the nobility upper class Uncertainty was amplified by the fear of theft boats imports small scale trades 4 Power was executed in the interests of land owners Land owners made enforced laws nobility followed separate laws different punishments Any nobility executions took place in private as opposed to the carnival that took place when others were executed Tax tariff quota laws were created to reduce the predictability that the Bourgeoisie needed to succeed in the market 5 Punishment was a Spectacle of Inconsistent Success Punishment was used to reinforce the power of the nobility an artistic form of expressing the unequal power that characterized a feudalistic society Opposition arose because people viewed capital punishment to be harsher than the crimes Laws were to protect their property land instead of the property of the bourgeoisie Human Nature as an Ideal based on reports reflect bourgeoisie 1 Sensuality Utility The universal centrality of pain pleasure which both dictate what people will do The reason people behave is to minimize cost pain maximize benefit pleasure empirical basis of behavior at an INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR However because pain pleasure are so universal they should be used as normative moral judgments things should be judged as good or just IF they promote utility Utility at a social level is the greatest good for the greater number Evidence that a choice will lead us to our desired end Classical criminology wanted to make sure that the prospect of negative outcomes in the form of punishment is clearly spelled out in an evidentiary way so that it can be examined carefully when making a choice to do crime the only thing real is the individual J Bentham The individual is more important than anything social Free individuals constitute society looking to maximize their utility 1 Punishment should be consistent with Human Nature A To be consistent with Human Nature punishment should intrude on the natural liberty of individuals as little as possible I To intrude on natural liberty as little as possible punishment should be minimal B Punishment should produce utility greatest good for greatest number to justify any intrusion on the natural liberty of individuals I To produce utility punishment should deter individuals from future crime a benefit that might justify the cost of intruding at all on natural liberty 2 Rationality 3 Individual Freedom Commands a To deter crime punishment should be something a rational utility calculating individual can take into account weigh costs and benefits 2 Punishment should then serve as evidence or a sign symbol of the costs of choosing crime a To serve as evidence or a sign of the cost of choosing crime punishment should be Swift Certain Consistent and Proportional to the benefits of crime being deterred Positive Criminology SUPERORDINATE IDEOLOGY Ideology of order maintenance power control Key reports the causes of behaviors If we know WHY things happen then we can CONTROL them Looks for pathological determining differences that separate criminals non criminals Augusta Comte the father of Positivism a conservative alternative to the rapid change of society wanted to discover the law of social status social dynamics Consolidates order accommodates to the inevitable Resignation to incurable political evils Inequality reinforces the status quo Reinforces control Reproduces power Detached
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