MCJ Comp Exam – Criminology
July, 2013
TAMUCT
You will have two and a half hours to fully respond to each question. Please carefully read
each question, and completely respond to each part of each and every question. While
there is no word minimum, you are encouraged to write at least a 750 word response to
each question. Answer only TWO of the following three questions. Remember to cite
sources throughout each response and to append a References page for those citations.
Include at least three sources in your citations.
1.) Discuss the historical context of the origins (emergence) of the Classical School of
Criminology. When did it arise? Was it a response to any previous perspectives? Also,
discuss the assumptions made by this school of thought regarding the nature of human
beings and their behavior (i.e., the “essential ideas” of classical thought). Be sure to explain
why crime occurs, according to this perspective. Also, discuss the crime-control implications
of this perspective. What should be done to reduce crime, according to the Classical School?
Next, compare and contrast the Classical and Positivist schools of criminology. Do they
share similarities? What are the differences? Why did the Classical School of Criminology
come under fire from the Positivistic School of Criminological thought? Next, identify and
fully discuss at least one of the modern Neoclassical theories and explain how this has
helped to revive the Classical paradigm.
2.) Identify and provide a discussion of any specific individual trait based theory of crime
(e.g. biological or psychological). Fully discuss the significance of this particular theory, and
be sure to identify the individual/s associated with this theory. Next, in your opinion, why
do you suppose individualistic theories of crime were so dominant into the early 20th
Century? In other words, why were the larger social forces that could influence crime
essentially ignored until the 1930s? Be sure to fully elaborate. Next, provide a complete
discussion of either strain or social disorganization and identify specific theorists that are
associated with either one of these theories. Also, discuss how either strain or social
disorganization theory influenced the discipline of criminology. Do you think that individual
trait based theories should be given more or less consideration than sociological theories,
such as strain or social disorganization theory? Finally, what do you think the future holds
for biological and individual trait theories of crime? Can we expect to see more of these
studies and more PhD students receiving training in this area within the next ten to fifteen
years? Elaborate.
3.) In prisons, correctional officers occasionally get into trouble for having inappropriate
relationships with the inmates they are paid to supervise. Inappropriate relationships
have been defined as “personal relationships between employees and inmates/clients
or with family members of inmates/clients. This behavior is usually sexual or economic
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in nature and has the potential to jeopardize the security of a prison institution or
compromise the security of a correctional employee.” First, select any criminological
theory to explain why a correctional officer would have an inappropriate relationship
with an inmate. Specifically explain what insights this specific theory offers into
explaining inappropriate relationships between correctional officers and inmates. Try to
examine this from both the officer and inmate perspectives. You may use more than
one theory, if you so choose. Be sure to elaborate fully. Finally, provide a discussion of
what type of research design you would use in order to “test” whether or not this
theoretical perspective explains inappropriate relationships between inmates and
correctional officers.