SO-302 Demonic Perspective Midterm Study Guide

These flashcards cover key concepts and theorists from the lecture notes on criminology, focusing on various schools of thought and their contributions to understanding crime.

Demonic Perspective

A view that crime is caused by evil spirits or demonic possession, focusing on punishment and exorcism.

Thomas Hobbes

Key figure of the Age of Enlightenment who argued that humans are naturally self-interested and require social contracts.

Cesare Beccaria

The creator of the Classical School of Criminology, emphasizing free will, rational choice, and pleasure vs. pain.

Hedonistic Calculus

Developed by Jeremy Bentham, it refers to weighing pleasure against pain in decision making.

Specific Deterrence

A type of deterrence aimed at discouraging the individual offender from repeating the crime.

General Deterrence

A type of deterrence aimed at discouraging others from committing a crime by setting an example.

Neoclassical School

A modified version of classical theory that recognizes mitigating factors such as age and mental illness.

Craniometry

The practice of measuring the size and shape of the skull to determine intelligence or criminal tendencies.

Phrenology

The study of skull bumps that were believed to be linked to psychological traits and tendencies.

Physiognomy

The practice of judging a person's character and personality based on their facial features.

Cesare Lombroso

The creator of the Positivist School of Criminology, emphasizing that crime is determined by biological, psychological, and social factors.

H.H. Goddard

Linked intelligence (IQ) to crime and believed 'feeblemindedness' caused criminality.

William Sheldon

creator of the Body Type Theory which classifies individuals into three body types related to personality.

Endomorph

A body type characterized as soft and sociable.

Mesomorph

A body type characterized as muscular and aggressive, most linked to crime.

Ectomorph

A body type characterized as thin and introverted.

Auguste Comte

A theorist associated with positivism, which advocates for studying society scientifically.

Adolphe Quetelet

Credited with the concept of the 'average man' and patterns observed in crime statistics.

Emile Durkheim

Influential sociologist known for his theories about types of societies and crime as a social construct.

Mechanical Society

A type of society characterized by shared beliefs and a high degree of social integration.

Organic Society

A society characterized by a complex division of labor and interdependence among individuals.

Classic Anomie

A state of normlessness leading to an increase in deviant behavior.

Robert K. Merton

Expanded on Durkheim's work, emphasizing strain theory and the relationship between societal goals and means.

Conformity

One of Merton's five adaptations to strain, where individuals accept both societal goals and means.

Ritualism

An adaptation to strain where individuals abandon societal goals but continue to adhere to means.

Innovation

An adaptive response to strain where individuals accept societal goals but reject means.

Retreatism

An adaptation where individuals reject both societal goals and means, often withdrawing from society.

Rebellion

An adaptation to strain that involves rejecting both societal goals and means and seeking to change the system.

General Strain Theory

Developed by Robert Agnew, positing that crime is caused by failure to achieve positively valued goals.

Robert Sampson

Contributed to social disorganization theory through the concept of collective efficacy.

Differential Association Theory

Proposed by Edwin Sutherland, asserting that criminal behavior is learned through interaction.

Techniques of Neutralization

Developed by Gresham Sykes and David Matza, outlining methods offenders use to justify their behavior.

Social Learning Theory

Created by Ronald Akers, emphasizing the role of reinforcement and imitation in learning behavior.

Social Bond Theory

Developed by Travis Hirschi, focusing on weak social bonds as a condition producing crime.

General Theory of Crime

Developed by Travis Hirschi and Michael Gottfredson, focused on low self-control as a significant factor in criminal behavior.