Question Set # 3
There are three primary objectives for this exercise. Objective one (1) requires the students in
CCJ 5015 to become comfortable with social structural explanations for crime and deviance.
Objective two (2) requires students to become familiar with social process explanations for crime
and deviance. Objective three focuses on students understanding the distinctions and
interactions between these two criminological explanations for behavior. To meet these three
objectives, students are expected to use the course readings and empirical research to
respond to the following questions.
Activity
1) In paragraph format with proper punctuation and citation format (APA), respond to the
following questions regarding crime measurement.
a. Describe the social roots of crime. Historically, what sociological factors were
seen as important correlates to human behavior?
b. Social Disorganization and Anomie theories are often termed social structural
theories. Why are they classified as such? What is the difference between Social
Disorganization theory and Anomie theory? How are they similar?
c. Social bond and social leaning theories are often termed social process theories.
Why are they classified as such? What is the difference between Social Bond
theories and social learning theories? How are they similar?
d. What is the fundamental difference between social structural theories of crime
and social process theories of crime?
e. Last summer, Andrea Yates drowned her 3 children in her Houston residence.
She confessed to the multiple homicides and is now being brought to trial and
charged with two counts of capital murder. You are assigned to defend Ms.
Yates. Based on what we have covered in class, and outside readings, develop a
defense for Ms. Yates.
Note: If you need to be informed of the Yates case, you can find multiple pieces of information on
the internet http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/02/20/yates.trial/index.html