Criminology
CLN4U
What is “crime”?
What is “criminology”?
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Criminology refers to the study of the
nature, causes, and means of dealing with
crime
Classical Criminology
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Classical theories on criminology came out
of the chaos of justice in the 18th and
early 19th centuries
Some key thinkers:
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Cesare Beccaria
Jeremy Bentham
Cesare Beccaria
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Famous for writing On Crimes and Punishment
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Humans are driven by self-interest, but are rational in
their decisions
Government should act on behalf of all citizens
Citizens are prepared to give up some freedoms in
exchange for protection
Existence of law should act as sufficient deterrent
Punishment should be proportionately greater than
enjoyment received by disobeying
Jeremy Bentham
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Based his view on theory of utilitarianism
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Law should ensure the greatest good for the
greatest number of people
Social contract between government and
people, each with clear responsibilities
Government to make clear what was illegal and
what punishment would arise
 Citizens to follow laws as created
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Positivist Criminology
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Began in late 19th century
Focused on biological and psychological
factors to explain criminal behaviour
Based on the idea that criminals are born,
not made
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nature trumps nurture
Generally discredited today
Positivist Criminology
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Cesare Lombroso
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Studied cadavers of criminals
Argued that criminals had distinct physical
features
XYY Theory
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Chromosomal abnormalities may explain
criminal behaviour
Debunked when researchers proved idea
incorrect
Sociological Criminology
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Crime cannot be properly understood
without examining the surrounding social,
political and economic context
These theorists focus on external factors
as an explanation for criminal behaviour
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the offender’s race, neighbourhood, social
circle, income level, education level, job or
career, and type of childhood determine why a
person became delinquent
Sociological Criminology
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Theory of Anomie
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Anonymity of large urban areas diminishes
effect of traditional morals and norms
Functionality
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Criminal behaviour has always existed, in all
communities, so it must serve a useful
purpose
Criminality is a sign of non-conformity, and
this can be beneficial
Sociological Criminology
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Ecological School
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AKA the “Chicago school”
High rates of poverty and social disintegration
are likely to lead to higher crime rates
Social Conflict Theories
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Arose from ideas of Marx and Engels
Capitalism essentially encourages crime
Justice system protects powerful elite, decides
actions of lower classes are criminal
Sociological Criminology
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Consensus Theory
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There is a universal definition of right and
wrong
Criminal laws prohibit what the majority finds
wrong
Case Study: The American Dream
and Deviance
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Emile Durkheim (The Division of Labor in
Society, 1893)
Anomie is a breakdown of social norms
and a condition where norms no longer
control the activities of members in society
Case Study: The American Dream
and Deviance
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Robert Messner (Social Structure and
Anomie, 1938)
Argued that it was the rigid adherence to
conventional American values that caused
high rates of crime and deviance
Believed that the American obsession with
economic success produced high levels of
serious crime
Case Study: The American Dream
and Deviance
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All members of American society ascribe to the
“American dream” that if one were simply willing to work
hard enough, one would inevitably reap the economic
rewards of such labours
The problem is that despite the widespread belief in the
possibility of upward social mobility, the American social
structure limits individuals’ access to the goal of
economic success through legitimate means
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Ex: while the probability of attaining economic success would be
enhanced by getting a college education, not all members of
American society are able to do so
Case Study: The American Dream
and Deviance
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This disjunction between culturally ascribed
goals (i.e., economic success) and the
availability of legitimate means to attain such
goals (i.e., social structural limits) in turn puts
pressure on the cultural norms that guide what
means should be used to achieve the culturally
prescribed goal
The result, Merton states, is that “the sole
significant question becomes: Which of the
available procedures is most efficient in netting
the culturally approved value?”
Case Study: The American Dream
and Deviance
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Key precepts of Social Conflict theory:
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The capitalist system inherently fosters
deviance (emphasis on competition, persisting
inequality, and economic prosperity as to
priority)
The justice system as a tool of oppression
(purpose is to maintain social stratification
and serve the interests of those in power)
Case Study: The American Dream
and Deviance
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Social conflict is defined by socially
unequal groups, such as the rich and the
poor, competing for money and material
goods
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The fundamental cause of crime is
oppression, resulting from social and
economic forces operating within society
Case Study: The American Dream
and Deviance
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How does anomie theory and social conflict
theory explain the United States high rates of
deviance?
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Deviant behaviour in upper strata (Bernie Madoff,
Enron, etc.)
Deviant behaviour in lower strata (crime rates in the
ghetto, glorification of criminal lifestyle in hip hop)
Is it paradoxical that the “land of opportunity”
has the highest rate of incarceration in the
world?
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Americans represent about 5% percent of the world's
population, but nearly 25% of the world’s prisoners
Case Study: The American Dream
and Deviance
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Read article “U.S. prison population
dwarfs that of other nations”
Apply anomie and social conflict theory to
explain what the United States has the
highest rate of incarceration in the world