Introduction to Theories of Crime

Introduction to Theories of Crime

• A theory is a set of interconnected statements explaining how two or more events relate.
• Theories often originate from experience, known knowledge, or common sense.
• A theory includes an explanatory framework, strategies for testing the explanation, and recommendations for action.
• A social scientist uses an explanatory framework to describe why things happen and how to address them.
• A good scientific theory includes mechanisms for testing to verify social facts match the theory.

Understanding Theories - Breaking it Down

• Ontology: The study of being or existence—what exists in the world and how we know about it. This perspective allows sociologists to study society rather than individual behavior.
• Epistemology: Defines how we know things, classified into rationalist and empiricist thought.
  • Rationalists believe knowledge comes from rational reflection and common sense. Experiences are not needed to understand truth.
  • Empiricists believe experience is the foundation of knowledge and understanding, gained through sensory perception.
• Concepts: Ideas or terms used in theory, ranging from concrete concepts like "gender" to abstract concepts like "society" and "crime."

Stanley Cohen and Criminology

• Stanley Cohen (1942-2013) critiqued modernist and critical criminology.
• His work focused on the significance of understanding a discipline's history to evaluate its effectiveness.
• Known for his concept of "moral panics."

Classical vs. Positivist Criminology

• Classical School: Emphasizes rational choice and deterrence through punishment.

Modernist Criminology

• Modernist criminology emerged in the late 19th century and dominated criminological theory.
• Key commitments include a realist perspective, faith in instrumental reason, a vision of the technocratic state, and a commitment to progress and social engineering.
• This perspective generally emphasizes addressing crime from an individual, rather than a structural, perspective.

Continuity in Criminological Theories

• Theories often justify current practices rather than presenting new solutions.
• Critiques of positivism in the 1960s prompted revisiting humanitarian ideals in criminology.
• Examples include labelling theory, Radical Marxist Criminology, and Realism/Neo-classicism.

Caputo and Hatt's Model of Criminological Theories

• This model categorizes criminological theories into four quadrants:
  • Microsynchronic: Focus on individual behavior and motivations at a specific point in time, like biological or psychological factors affecting criminal choices.
  • Macrosynchronic: Explore the broader factors like social structures or crime rates across large populations.
  • Microdiachronic: examines how individuals become labeled as criminals. This includes moral entrepreneurs and the social construction of criminality.
  • Macrodiachronic: examines how criminality and criminal justice systems evolve over time.

Critical Criminology (post-modern theories)

• Critical criminology emerged as a response to limitations of modernist theories, aiming to incorporate societal factors and the limitations of a state-centered approach.
• Critiques include focusing on street crime while ignoring white-collar crime or crimes of the powerful.

Transition to Post-Critical Theories

• Modernist Criminology is being revisited, including critical theories like labeling theory.
• Post-critical theories question and debate the validity of modern theories with regards to crime.
• Contemporary issues are impacting criminology, leading to increased scrutiny of its methods.

Core Propositions of Modernist Criminology

• Causal models are based on societal influences, lack of personal control, learned criminal behavior, and rational cost-benefit analyses.
• Many of these models are weak empirically.

Critique of Criminological Theories

• Many theories lack rigor and clear definitions.
• Generalizations across populations without adequate study are problematic.
• Significant overlap exists, leading to redundancy.
• Standardized measurement is necessary for accurate assessment of key concepts in theories.