Crim Theories

  1. Classical School - Based on rationality - free will - cost benefit analysis thought process

    1. Builds on the idea of the social contract; violate it and should be punished

    2. Newer versions of the classical school focus on the rational choice theory and routine activity theory (neoclassicism)

    3. Beccaria (1738-1794)—argued that criminal procedures (those focused on processing and punishment) should be more consistent with human behavior

      1. All decisions to commit crime are because of rational choice

      2. Fear of punishment can deter

      3. Swift and certain punishment is effective in controlling crime

    4. Bentham (1748-1832)—pain of punishment should be used as a threat against criminals to ensure the pleasure of society as a whole; utilitarianism-greatest good for the greatest number

  2. Positivist School - Began to study crime as a social phenomenon with scientifically-based criminology; positivists analyze crime not by speculation and observation alone but also by collection of scientific facts and collection of data

    1. Criminal behavior is determined by biological, psychological, and sociological forces and is beyond the control of the individual

    2. Lombroso (1835-1909)—Father of criminology; criminals are throwbacks to the savagery of early human-kind and could be identified by certain physical characteristics such as sharp teeth and large jaws; atavism

    3. Positivist school lost credit in the 1970s as crime rates rose-because if crime was due to social factors why didn’t the proactive social programs of the 1960s not decrease crime!?!

  3. Neoclassicism—The return of considering choice and deterrence. It is Rational Choice Theory—which is an updated version of classical criminology

    1. James Q. Wilson—committing a crime and not committing a crime consists of rewards (reinforcers) and punishments (costs and consequences). All criminals are believed to do a cost-benefit analysis before committing a criminal act

    2. Trait studies—certain psychological traits could incline them to criminal behavior

    3. Twin studies

    4. Adoption studies—correlation with criminal behavior with biological parents

  4. Chicago School—Crime is correlated to social structure

    1. Burgess (1886-1966) and Park (1864-1944)—neighborhood conditions be they wealthy or poverty had a much determinant effect on criminal behavior than ethnicity, race, or religion

    2. Shaw & McKay—social disorganization theory—focused on disorganized zones and high rates of crime

    3. Durkheim—anomie; weakening of social controls

    4. Strain theory—Lack of access leads to crime to gain financial security

    5. Merton—anomie is caused by a social structure in which all citizens have similar goals with equal means to achieve them and they relieve this strain ti gain wealth by means that are available to residence of disorganized communities (drugs, burglary, etc.)

    6. Zimbardo—power of group behaviors (Stanford prison experiment); undergrad/grad students act as “guards” and other students were “inmates”

    7. Cultural deviance theory—combines social disorganization and strain; people adapt to values of the subculture to which they belong. Members of low income subcultures are more likely to conform to value systems to celebrate behavior duch as violence

    8. Social process theories—criminal behavior is a predictable result of interaction with environment

      1. Sutherland—Learned behavior—Differential association theory; learned values from family, peers, friends, etc

      2. Hirschi—About control—Focuses on why they DO NOT commit crime; most of us don’t commit crime because we care about the opinion of peers

        1. Wilson & Kelling—Broken windows theory—poor neighborhoods have cues that show a lack of control lead to crime (Zimbardo’s car window study)

    9. Labeling—focuses on perceptions of criminal behavior rather than the behavior itself; labels like “whore”; “junkie”; “thief” impact a person

    10. Social conflict theories—focus is on power

      1. Marxism and capitalism

        1. Marxism—Class struggle; abolish capitalism; equality through collective ownership; but struggle is also a necessary part of society

        2. Capitalism—Capitalist economic system produces income inequality and lead to exploitation of the working class; leads to high levels of violence and crime because of the disparity of income that results; haves vs have-nots

      2. Quinney—social reality of crime—any conflict between crime and the law will be seated in favor of the “haves” who make the law and control the criminal justice system; sees crime as a political response or a revolutionary act against the power of the state