What Is Criminology? PDF

What is Criminology? Criminology in crisis Agenda History of a Discipline Criminology in crisis Issues contributing to the ‘crisis’ What is criminology? An interdisciplinary science that attempts to explain crime and criminality We never had to...

What is Criminology? Criminology in crisis Agenda History of a Discipline Criminology in crisis Issues contributing to the ‘crisis’ What is criminology? An interdisciplinary science that attempts to explain crime and criminality We never had to Stranger things: lock our doors! Winona Ryder and shoplifting A Short History of Criminology: A Young Discipline Pre-scientific days explanations for bad behavior were of a religious or spiritual nature Renaissance (1450-1600) human-centered naturalism (growth and advances in art, philosophy, literature, primitive science) Enlightenment (1650-1800) advances in mathematics, science Age of reason belief in the dignity and worth of the individual A Short History of Criminology: A Young Discipline Positivist School (1876) Measure, sort, classify, theories of character Progressive era (1890-1920) A move away from biological determinism to cultural determinism. Sociology became the disciplinary home of criminology. Structural theories of crime A Short History of Criminology: A Young Discipline Integration of sociology and psychology(1950’s-1970’s) Theories strongly emphasized the importance of socialization Control theories gains prominence. Labeling theory gains prominence. Conflict theory Feminist A Short History of Criminology: A Young Discipline 1980’s return to free will, rationality, individual theories “crime pays”- if people commit crime it is because the cost is not high enough The crisis Example 1 Theodor was a young man of just 20 when he lost his 19-year-old wife. Her sudden death left him with two children to care for so he set off looking for a new wife to assume the duties of raising the children. He found his new wife in a relatively short time, and it turned out she was his wife’s 13-year-old cousin Abigail. Soon they were welcoming baby number 3 to their home. Do you think that Abigail is simply too young and that Theodor has broken the law? Why do you feel this way and what should be done? Example 2: Just stopped for a cup of coffee and… Example 1 Age of Consent But in Denmark Other examples What “crimes” can you think of that vary across cultures today? Defining Crime The Moving Target Problem If what constitutes a crime differs across time and place, how can criminologists ever agree on a scientific explanation for crime and criminal behavior? Social Construction-we make it a crime by defining it as such. Defining Crime Crime as a category of social harms on a continuum according to the seriousness The stationary core Universally condemned crimes Mala in se (inherently bad). Time and culture bound crimes: Mala prohibita (bad because they are prohibited). Biosocial Criminology to the rescue? 1990s and 2000s: resurgence of biosocial theories Exciting intellectually Advanced quantitative methods Theoretical specificity Policy relevant Biosocial Criminology to the rescue? Do you think that this paradigm shift (typical and standard model for doing things) is novel and the solution to the “crisis”? Explain why you think this way. Another failure…? The CSI Effect and public expectations What are the authors interested in? How do they conduct their research (what method do they use?) What do they find? Discussion DNA’s Dirty Little Secret