Criminology Theory Overview

Looking at the ways society labels certain behaviors as deviant and how these labels impact the individual, not focusing on the individual's attributes.

Traditional theories focused on individual traits, but critical criminology investigates the power dynamics and societal structures that contribute to crime.

Crime is not a fixed, objective phenomenon but rather a social construct defined and redefined through interactions.

Social interactionism emphasizes the role of interpretation and communication in shaping our reality, including our understanding of crime.

The idea that society shares common values and interests, which creates a consensus around what is deemed deviant.

The belief that capitalism benefits everyone equally and fosters economic prosperity.

The dominant image of Western society in the 1950s. It assumed shared values, consensus on deviance, and capitalism's benefits for everyone.

Labeling theories emerged as a critique of the dominant image of Western society, challenging the assumptions of shared values, consensus on deviance, and widespread prosperity.

A social system where men hold power and dominance over women, often reinforced by societal structures and norms.

The study of how people create and maintain the social world through their everyday interactions and practices.

The process of how we develop a sense of self through interactions with the world around us.

The idea that individuals internalize messages from the world around them, which contributes to their self-concept.

Any stimuli that contribute to forming our internal messages and influences our self-concept.

A word used by Blumer to represent symbols, which are essential to symbolic interactionism.

Anything that carries a specific meaning when recognized, like words, gestures, or even objects.

The perspective that focuses on understanding how people create meaning in their interactions.

Societal rules are created by groups with power. The more powerful the group, the more likely their rules will be widely accepted.

Deviance is not fixed - it changes based on social groups and their reactions.

Social groups define what is deviant based on their own values and norms. This means that the same behavior can be viewed differently by different groups.

The reaction of a social group to rule-breaking determines if someone is labeled as deviant.

Social groups have different ways of responding to rule-breaking, ranging from ignoring it to criminal proceedings.

A sociological perspective that emphasizes the socially constructed nature of reality. It argues that our understanding of the world, including ourselves, is shaped by social interactions and shared meanings.

The process by which social interactions and shared meanings create and maintain our understanding of the world.

The idea that knowledge is not objective or neutral, but rather shaped by social factors, including power dynamics and cultural contexts.

Specific ways of thinking and acting that are seen as normal and expected within a particular society. These often reinforce existing power structures and can be harmful when they become rigid and exclusionary.

The use of dehumanizing language to categorize and marginalize individuals or groups. This can lead to prejudice and discrimination.

The process by which individuals and groups develop and maintain a shared understanding of the world through communication and interaction. This shared understanding often shapes our beliefs, values, and behaviors.

The idea that expert knowledge is not necessarily objective or neutral, but rather shaped by social factors and power dynamics.

The social and historical context in which meanings are created and shared. This can include factors like politics, economics, history, and culture.

The process of assigning meaning to symbols and stimuli in the environment. It involves recognizing, interpreting, and constructing meaning from external information. This process is essential for engaging in social interactions and understanding the world.

An object that represents something else, often with cultural or social meaning. It can be anything from a physical object to a gesture, word, or even an idea.

The way individuals understand and define themselves, formed through interactions with others and the social environment. It includes both how we see ourselves and how we believe others perceive us.

The understanding that we learn to interact with others by observing and internalizing social roles and the associated behaviors and expectations. This includes understanding social norms and conventions.

The idea that individuals actively shape their reality through interpretations and interactions with others. We don't simply passively receive information; we actively create meaning and understanding.

The idea that shared interpretations of symbols and signs lead to common understanding and shared social experiences. This allows for effective communication and social order.

The initial interaction with a message or symbol before it is interpreted.

The product of interpretation, an object with meaning and significance. Something that evokes a reaction or response.

Positivist theories assume that human behavior is determined by factors beyond individual control, often focusing on biological, psychological, or social factors.

Critical criminology emphasizes that individuals have free will and agency, meaning they make choices and contribute to their own actions. This stance rejects the idea that people are merely passive recipients of social forces.

Anti-essentialism rejects the notion that categories like 'criminal' or 'normal' have inherent qualities. Instead, it argues these categories are socially constructed, meaning they are created and defined by society.

Critical criminology emphasizes that social construction influences our understanding of identity, including deviance. This means that the categories used to define what is 'deviant' are not fixed, but rather shaped by social norms and power dynamics.

Critical criminology argues that laws and their enforcement are not neutral but reflect power imbalances in society. Those in power define what is 'deviant' and enforce those definitions, often to their own advantage.

Phenomenology explores how human consciousness and experiences create a shared sense of reality. It focuses on how individuals interpret and understand the social world based on their own lived experiences.

Deviance is not inherently present but comes to be defined as such through social processes. Laws create the category of 'criminal' and the application of those laws labels individuals as deviant.

Power structures influence the creation and application of laws. Groups with more power can define acts as criminal, shaping the categories of deviance and impacting those with less power.

Critical criminology highlights the interconnectedness of deviance and its control with power dynamics in society. The labeling of individuals as deviant is linked to the power of those who define and enforce the law.