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1- Slides

Definition of Criminal Behaviour

  • Understanding Society

  • Importance of defining criminal behavior in the context of criminology.

Criminology Overview

  • Exploration of Criminal Laws

    • How laws emerge, function, are violated, and the consequences for violators.

  • Broad Definition

    • Criminology studies not only traditional crimes but also harmful behaviors that are blameworthy.

Key Criminological Research Questions

  • Definition

    • What types of harmful behaviors are classified as criminal and why?

  • Scope

    • Measuring the size of specific crime problems and the knowledge, skills, and tools required for committing specific crimes.

  • Explanation

    • Analyzing causes of crime at:

      • Personal Level: Biological, psychological influences.

      • Social and Institutional Level: Historical, cultural, economical, political factors.

  • Consequences

    • Impact of crime on perpetrators, victims, society, and ecosystems.

  • Evaluation

    • Strategies to combat crime, effects of punishment, and crime prevention methods.

Social Context of Criminalisation

  • Societal Determination

    • Criminal behavior is subjectively determined through social construction processes.

  • Universal Deviance

    • Certain behaviors are widely regarded as deviant across cultures:

      • Indiscriminate lying.

      • Stealing.

      • Violence and harm.

      • Incest.

Philosophical Theories on Crime

  • Liberty Limitation Principles

    • John Stuart Mill: Advocated that power should only restrict liberties to prevent harm to others.

  • Paternalism: May limit personal liberties to stop self-harm.

  • Moralism: Societal rejection can lead to liberty limitations without the necessity of harm.

  • Offense Principle: Limits liberties if behavior offends others, regardless of harm.

Social Concepts and Interactionism

  • Defining Social Concepts

    • Difficult to define precisely; require understanding dynamics of interaction.

  • Sensitising Concepts

    • Language and images influence interpretation and meaning in daily life (Herbert Blumer).

    • Thomas Theorem: "If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences."

Regulation through Social Norms

  • Nature of Social Norms

    • Standards dictating thoughts, sayings, and actions under specific circumstances.

    • Norms evolve through group consensus.

  • Norm Codification

    • Larger communities cannot constantly redefine norms through personal interaction.

    • Culture: Informal codification of norms; formal laws are codifications of societal norms.

Frames of Cultural Norms and Laws

  • Representation of Complexity

    • Cultural norms/laws simplify complex societal issues into 'frames'.

    • Situational exceptions to general social norms are acknowledged.

Community and Definition Setting

  • Authority in Norm Definition

    • Norms are defined by varied groups such as individuals, interest groups, institutions, etc.

    • Definitions are dynamic and can change over time.

  • Power Dynamics

    • Uneven power distribution in defining norms, with economic actors holding more influence potentially silencing weaker groups.

Growing Complexity in Definition Setting

  • Complexity Factors

    • Societal complexity, digitalization, and the impact of global vs. national interests complicate definitions.

Importance of Social Construction in Criminology

  • Theorising Sensitising Concepts

    • Variations in treatment of different groups in response to crime.

    • Effects of definition power on the criminalization of harmful behaviors.

    • Issues of mass surveillance linked to deviance.

    • Valuation of wildlife, migrant framing, and terrorist definitions.