SOCI 304 1st EditionExam # 1 Study Guide Lectures: 1 - 6Lecture 1 (September 7)1. Crime and the media: what perceptions regarding crime do we get from the news and popular television shows regarding the most common types of crime? News leads to crime stories. We tend to think there is a lot of violent crime but there is not. We only think this because the media talks about violent crime more often than other crimes. This doesn’t help us get the bigger picture about crime.There is actually more property crime than there is violent time.- In whose interests? The news media’s wants to report the most interesting crime; therefore, they show a lot of violent crime. Politicians and police officials are also interested in types of crime and crime rates.- The bottom line is that: Perceptions of crime is shaped by media2. Crime myths: False beliefs about crime. This leads to stereotypes about crime. EX: blacks 50% more likely to do drugs (false), in reality whites are more likely to be involved in drug crime.Media contributes to crime myths:- Select people to be interviewed: they use broad base samples to collect interviews instead of narrowing it down- Use value-laden language - Presenting data that are misleading (numbers vs. rates): We don’t have a sense of the number of people in the area. EX: crime rates in Cstat vs. Houston are different sizes therefore it’s hard to compare crime rates. - Emphasizing violent crime: once again an HUGE emphasizes on violent crime- Failing to provide the social and/or historical context3. What is sociological criminology? Sociological Definitions of Crime- Crime as a violation of conduct norms (Sellin)o Definition moves beyond the realm of the lawo Basic units of criminological research should be conduct normso Based on conduct norms, there are right and wrong ways of acting.- Crime as Social Harm o Analogous social injury (Michalowski 1985): applies to “legally permissible acts orsets of conditions whose consequences are similar to those of illegal acts.”- Crime as a violation human rightso Crime as any behavior that violates human rights o View that all people have certain natural and inalienable human rights (life, liberty, happiness etc.)o Critique: Are causes are mixed up with definitions of crime….ambiguities on what constitute fundamental human rights, may vary. - Crime as form of deviance o Deviance: any social behavior or social characteristic that departs from the conventional norms and standards of a community or society for which the deviant is sanctioned. 4. What is structural Criminology? (Hagan 1994) emphasizes role of communities and influence of social location (race and ethnicity, gender, social class, and age– elements ofsocial structure)5. What are the basic principles of consensus and conflict approaches to explaining crime? Consensus: Durkheimo Agreement in opinion on social norms of behavioro When crime occurs, this constitutes a norm violation, and punishment ofthe behavior is necessary to ensure social stability (maintains social order).o Societies agree the murder is a crimeo When crime occurs it violates hard. Punishments maintains social ordero The division of labor is what holds society together Conflict Approaches : Marx and Engelso Disagreement on norms of society reflecting position in social structure based on inequality in wealth and power.o Crime definitions are more problematic; why do some acts become defined as illegal, while others are not. o There is a disagreement in crime. Crime is a social construction. o Some things may or may not be considered a crime.o The more power a person has, the more you can have your voice of whatis a crime. 6. What is Michael and Adler’s definition of crime? Debate among criminologists about the proper definition of crime can be traced to a 1933 report by Michael & Adler. a. “The most precise and least ambiguous definition of crime is that which defines it as behavior which is prohibited by the criminal code. It follows that a criminal is a person who has behaved in some way prohibited by the criminal law.”b. Tappan followed Michael & Adler’s argument and claimed that crime is an intentional violation of the criminal law, committed without defense or excuse, and penalized by the state as a felony or misdemeanor.c. Crime is a legalistic category of behavior7. Main points of legalistic perspective on crime:1. To constitute a crime, the behavior must be prohibited by law.- Criminal law categorizes crime in two ways:- Mala en se: “acts that evil in themselves” (consensus)- Acts that are “universally” considered evil- Mala prohibita: “acts that are prohibited” ( conflict approach)- List changes over time, they are acts prohibited by statute2. To constitute a crime, the behavior must be a voluntary act or omission- Omission: failing to file a tax return with the IRS3. Culpability for a crime depends on a defendant’s mental state (criminal intent or mens rea , the guilty mind).- When is a crime not a crime? Defenses:- Justification: duress (self-defense), necessity, duty- Entrapment (one lacks criminal responsibility)- Insanity (no mens rea)8. What is mala en se? “Acts that evil in themselves” (consensus). Mala prohibita? acts thatare prohibited” ( conflict approach)9. What is a felony? Serious offense punishable by a prison term of more than one year, also punishable by death. Misdemeanor: a relatively minor criminal offense punishable by less than one year in prison or jail or a fine10. What is mens rea? The guilty mind11. What is criminalization? process by which law is selectively applied to social behavioro The enactment of legislation that outlaws certain types of behavioro Surveillance and policing of that behavioro If detected, the punishment of that behavioro The legal prospective is one prospective. There are other ways to measure crime.12. What is Sellin’s view of crime? What does he purport that criminological research should study? A cross- cultural approach. Conduct norms: every group has its own socialstandard of behaviors. Cultural norms vary with the universals of human behavior, necessities of life. CN that are universal and non trivial can’t be found. We can’t afford topermit nonscientists to make and enforce law; we must recognize that the separation of crime from other kinds of deviance is a social and political phenomenon. 13. What does the