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Crim1000
Theories
85
Criminology
Undergraduate 1
06/03/2012

Additional Criminology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Don Weatherburn stats
Definition

2000-2011 most crime rates decrease

Primary rate source: victim surveys + police records
Secondary source: Crt, Charge, Emergency + Self Data

Term
Factors affecting the official police crime-rate (Don Weatherburn)

W.O.R.L.D.P.V.J. 
Definition
  1. Willingness to report
  2. Public opinion of 'crime' + law
  3. Recording practices
  4. Law (redifintion might lower rate)
  5. Reported/discovered (crackdown = higher rate)
  6. Police policy/resources
  7. Chance/seasonal variation (clusters)
  8. Jurisdictional variation
Term
Definition of deviance (Cohen)
Definition
violation of social norms
Term
Relativism, types of laws (Willliam Summer)
Definition

Folkways (etiquette)

Mores (norms)

Laws (codes)

Term
Definition: actus reus
Definition
criminal conduct
Term
Definition: mens rea
Definition
prescribed state of mind for crime
Term
Definition: Dark figure of crime
Definition
the amount of crime that's not reported
Term
Definition: crime funnel
Definition
The inefficiency of the CJS; 1000 offences -> 4 sentenced
Term

Definition: Moral Panic (Cohen)

 

S.T.E.D.

Definition

"Folk Devils + Moral Panics" : 

 

  1. stylized and stereotypical mass media coverage
  2. episodic threat to societal values/interests
  3. exaggerated in itself and compared to other events
  4. society worried -> police -> drama/conflict
Term
Key elements of Moral Panic
Definition
Moral entrepreneurs + folk devils + deviance
Term
Actors of Moral Panic
Definition
  1. Mass media
  2. Public
  3. Agents of social control
  4. Lawmakers + politicians
  5. Action groups
Term
Objects of Moral Panic
Definition
  1. New issues, but familiar (e.g. creeping up)
  2. Damaging per se, but a warning of a shift in culture
  3. transparent, but opaque (needing expert analysis)
Term
Time of Moral Panics
Definition
  1. Transition periods
  2. Fear of loss of control

Eg: Salem, McCarthyism, '60s, drugs

Term

Issues with Moral Panic Theory

 

M.A.R.S.B.U.M.F.V.

Definition
  1. Moral panics are actuall long term ideological struggles (marxism)
  2. Assumes blind acceptance of media coverage
  3. under estimates individual's capacity for reason
  4. Very stereotypical
  5. Assumes issue is not actually that bad
  6. Treats society as one unit
  7. Media not monolithic
  8. Criminals turned into victims
  9. Media can also be "folk devils"
Term
How the media influences us
Definition
  1. Passive recipients (no filter)
  2. Agency (rational thought/discretion)
  3. Mediated view (filter, but influenced by self)
    1. Chiricos et al: TV leads to bias and fear
      1. Subsitituion w/ character experiences
      2. Resonance w/ real experiences
      3. Vulnerability
      4. Affinity; shared charactersitics
Term
Why gender has generally been avoided in criminology
Definition
  1. Perception that gender is unimportant
  2. Criminologists predominately male til recently
Term
Naffine on Gender + Crime
Definition
  1.  race, gender + crime are social constructs
Term
Explanations for Race and crime correlation
Definition
  1. Differential involvement
  2. Differential treatment
Term
Theories on race
Definition
  1. Conflict; clash of cultures
  2. Hirschi: Social control; criminals w/o strong bonds
  3. Wolfgang: subculture of violence
  4. Sampson: social disorganisation; hetero = crime
  5. Critical; law creates 'race' and enforces white law
Term
France poverty and crime (Guerry)
Definition
1827; patterns between time/region. Higher taxes and higher crime, more opportunity in rich areas.
Term
Social mechanics by Quetelet
Definition
  • Crime not high in poor areas, but crime committed by poor in rich areas. 
  • Education does not reduce crime (except Maths + English) but increases property crime. 
  • Young unemployed males more likely to commit.
Term
Issues with crime/economics research
Definition
  1. Poverty is subjective
  2. "unemployment"? laziness/underemployment
  3. Lag (crime/change)
  4. Size of unit: block -> nation
  5. multicollinearirty and spuriousness
  6. Poverty v economic inequality
  7. White collar crime?
Term
Effect of low income on crime
Definition
  1. % of low income 
    1. Cho: no effect
    2. Loffin & Hill: does affect
Term
Traditional Age + Crime theories
Definition
  1. Traditional view (Gottfresdon & Hirschi)
    1. Propensity to commit crime stable after 8
    2. Self-control = propensity (high youth sanctions)
    3. no one sotps offending, they just offend less
    4. Cross-sectional data sufficient, no life criminal
    5. Crime rate affected by frequency
Term
Franz Joseph Gall
Definition
shape of head -> cirminality
Term

Lombroso

Definition
  • positivist
  • Darwinian theory; throwbacks
  • Born criminals, insane criminals and criminaloids
  • Start of scientific process for crime
Term
Sheldon
Definition
Criminals mostly mesomorphs. Evil or adapted to body?
Term
Christiansen
Definition
If one twin arrested, other also likely to be arrested
Term
Hutchins and Mednick
Definition
If criminal father and criminal adopted father boy very likely to be criminal
Term
Monoadmine Oxidase
Definition
low levels (from birth or abuse) causes criminality
Term
Robert Dugdale
Definition
Pedigree study, the Jukes Family
Term
Henry Goddard
Definition
Low IQ -> Criminality, w/o army
Term
Robert Hare psycopathy test
Definition

indicates psycopath levels and likelihood to offend

Monahan: only INDICIATIVE

Term
Social Learning Theories
Definition
  1. Gabriel/Tarde: Social process makes criminality
    1. Theory of imitation: contact, superior, insertion
  2. Sutherland: content (ideas) and process learned
  3. Becker: learn method/effects/enjoyment thru acceptance
  4. Akers: learn ideas and behaviours by observing consequences
Term
Issues with Sutherland's theory of Social Learning
Definition
  1. Definitions (what is intensity of contact)
  2. Suggest that all are delinquent (all of connections)
  3. Not all crimes explained (only expressive/compulsive)
  4. No origin
  5. Who teaches who (e.g. peer group)
  6. No psychological/biological/structural factors
Term
Cultural Deviance Theories
Definition

Crime = conformity. Standards are different across groups. Nothing appicable to general population.

 

Miller: class -> deviance. LC boys have no fathers, learn from other males. Belief in fate and toughness. Loffin & Hill: No significance with low income.

 

Wolfgang & Ferractui: Subculture of violence

Term
David Matza: Neutralise conditions leading to delinquency
Definition
  1. No responsibility
  2. No injury
  3. No victim
  4. Condemnation of condemnation
  5. appeal to high loyalties
Term
Hirschi: Social Bonds (SLT)
Definition
  • We are ALL animals naturally capable of committing crime
  • Delinquency occurs from free choice
  • Can be stopped by social bonds 
    1. Attachment (affection)
    2. Commitment (stake, something to lose)
    3. Involvement (lack of idle hands)
    4. Belief (in morals and rules)

 Test did not consider peer effects, non-trivial delinquency. Concluded extra-curricular activities increased delinquency. 

Term
Warr and Laub&Sampson on SLT
Definition

Warr: who you hang out with determines criminality

L&S: Life changess increase stakes to conform

Term
Merton's anomie
Definition

Strain comes from the inability to find legitimate means to obtain social/cultural goals.

 

Adaptions (Goal / Means):

  1. Conformity    G M 
  2. Innovation     G M
  3. Ritualism       G M
  4. Retreatism     G M
  5. Rebellionism    GG MM

 

Assumes wealth is social goal.

Term
Cohen's anomie and gang delinquency
Definition
Groups are non-utilitarian, malicious and negativisitic with no purpose. They create their own status as a group, not individuals
Term
Cloward and Ohlin gang delinquency and anomie
Definition
  • Lower legitimate opportunity to achieve goals leads to frustration or retreatism. 
  • Innovation requires illegitimate opportunity (SLT)
  • Pursuit of money leads to heavy delinquency.
Term
Durkheim and community
Definition
  • Mechanical solidarity; connected thru work
  • Organic solidarity; wider conscience and connection
  • Crime; way to enforce norms and community
  • Anomie; inability of society to catch up with crime, lack of moral bounds or rules
  • crime rates actually decrease with modernization
Term
Issues with traditional strain theory
Definition
  • What causes MC deviance?
  • All about males
  • Short term goals only
  • Limited types of goals
  • No mention of violence
  • Little empirical support
Term
Agnew and General Strain Theory
Definition
  • Individualistic
  • Emotional, based on the immediate environment
  • Types of strain : no positive goals, noxious circumstances, removal of positive stimuli
  • objective and subjective; whatever causes anger
  • theory of everything -_-
Term
Burgess model 
Definition
[image][image]
Term
Chicago School (Robert E Park)
Definition
  1. Symbiosis, mutual benefit
  2. Status quo change; "invasion, dominance, succession"
  3. Society perpetually in flux
  4. city = laboratory
  5. low class = high instability
Term
Shaw & McKay Maps
Definition
  • Spot
  • Rate
  • Zone
  • truancy -> crime
  • High CBD low suburbs
  • Geographic location maintained rate after residents moved out
  • Flux -> low cohesion -> no collective efficacy
Term
Issues with flux social disorganisation theories, Chicago School
Definition
  1. Not appicable to Japanese immigrants
  2. Not applicable after 1950s
  3. Suburban sprawl, cities not concentric
  4. indicators vs effects
  5. Not all types of crimes explained
  6. Ecological determinism; man is where he lives
  7. Political issues
  8. Ecological fallacy
Term
Sampson on collective efficacy
Definition
  • Collective efficacy is informal control on community
  • Includes locally based groups, friends, organisations 
  • Prevents crime and disorder
Term
Broken Windows Theory (Wilson + Kelling)
Definition
Disorder -> Crime. No one cares
Term
Conflict theories on grafitti
Definition

Law against graffiti serves the interest of people wanting to keep property clean. People with property have power and make law.

 

AGENDA

Term
Two types of Conflict Theorists
Definition
  1. Instrumental; power oppresses powerless
  2. Structural; system routines advantages those w/ power
Term
Marxist Criminologists
Definition
  1. Vold: conflict allows people to be heard, criminal label given to minorities
  2. Turk: Those in power make laws to contol g/s. Criminality = weakness of ruler.
  3. Robert Lincoln: Police ignore drunk businessmen but will target aboriginals
Term
Issues with Marxist Criminology
Definition
  1. Variance across capitalist nations
  2. Glamourise crime and ignore reality
  3. Hard to test
  4. Ignore race and gender in favour of class
  5. Ignore social consensus on laws
  6. Highly descriptive texts
Term
Becker on Labelling Theories
Definition
  • Interactionism; being labelled makes you deviant
  • Primary deviance = first encounter w/ CJS
    • Official reaction determines 2nd encounter (Lemert)
  • Master Status
  • >Retrospective Interpretation
  • >Status Degredation Ceremonies
  • >Dramatisation of Evil
  • >Secondary Deviance
  • >Organised and Serious Deviance
Term
Issues with consensus definitions of deviance
Definition

According to Becker:

  1. Statistical (red hair -> deviance)
  2. Pathological (no consensus on decision)
  3. Breaking group rules (many concurrent groups)
Term
Chabliss - The Saints and the Roughnecks
Definition
Saints committed more deviance but knew how to avoud the label of deviant thru manners.
Term
Implications on policy from Labelling Theories
Definition
  1. Do nothing, avoid label
  2. Diversion programs
  3. Deinstitutionalisation
  4. Re-intergration
Term
Issues with Labelling Theories
Definition
  1. Chicken + egg
  2. Encounter w/ CJS shows discrimination
  3. Weak empirical support
  4. Labels not universally effective, depends on membership and distance between labeller and labelled.
Term
Beccaria
Definition
  1. Ppl are rational actors -> economics
  2. Punishment > awards = order
  3. State not authorised to punish more than necessary
  4. Presumption of innocence
  5. Intention of guilty not important
  6. Public punishment
  7. Prison better deterrence than death
  8. Risk of punishment affects behaviour
    • Certainty / Swiftness / Severity
Term
Deterrence Research Types
Definition
  1. Policies / Procedures
    • Initial deterrence decay
    • Residual deterrence
  2. Individual Perceptions
    • High perception = low offending
    • Extra-legal sanctions important
    • certainty > severity
  3. Comparative Deterrent effect across jurisdictions
    • ^ police = ^ crime
    • death penalty = ^ crime
Term
Situational Crime Prevention
Definition
  • Pragmatic
  • Preventative measures
  • Manage environment
  • Increase effort and risk of crime while decreasing rewards
Term
Issues w/ Situational Crime Prevention
Definition
  1. Crime displacement (but weakened)
  2. Heavy reliance on surveillance, no rights
  3. Limits of rationality (economic/social factors)
Term
Routine Activties Theory
Definition
  1. Cohen + Felson: offender + target - guardian
  2. race, gender, class, age, edu, social factors?
  3. David Garland: responsibilization; risk society; modernity, baby boomers
Term
Arthur Jensen on IQ and race
Definition
IQ is genetic, that is why black people are in jail (they score on avg 15 points less than their white counterparts) and remedial education programs have failed (1969)
Term
Quay on low verbal IQ and crime
Definition
  1. school problems -> delinquency
  2. psychosocial problems -> delinquency
  3. no higher-order processign -> no morals
Term
Monahan on predicting future criminality based on past psychiatric tests
Definition
must be in similar circumstances to prior crime, past acts must be high in severity, frequency and recency, use general statistics on similar individuals
Term
Anti-feminist Gender theories
Definition
  1. Pollack: Crime rates equal but women deceptive (chivalry hypothesis)
  2. Simon: crime rate from liberalization
  3. Heidensohn: Patriarchy = lower crime
Term
Men and crime
Definition
  1. Lombroso: masculinity hypothesis; control females
  2. Messerchmidt: Men commit to reinforce masculinity
Term
Moffat's Age + Crime Theory
Definition
  1. Career Criminal / Dual Taxonomy (Moffatt)
    1. 2 trajectories, Life Course Persistent and Adolescant Limited Offenders
    2. LCP starts early, cumulative consequences and reciprocal interaction
    3. ALO late onset, right circumstances, easily deterred, maturity gap and peer influence

 

Term
Laub and Sampson on Age and Crime
Definition
  1. No groups, # of criminals declines (Laub  + Sampson)
    1. Crime declines with age
    2. Cause changes with time
    3. Cont'd offending from cumulative continuity
    4. Many turning points from social ties
Term
Richard Tremblay on Age and Crime
Definition
Children learn criminal behavior 2-4 (Richard Tremblay)
Term
Effect of unemployment on crime
Definition
  1. unemployment and crime
    1. Chiricos: positive correlation
    2. Land, McCall and Cohen: negative correlation
Term
Effect of adult unemployment on juvenile crime
Definition
  1. Adult unemployment + juvenile supervision
    1. Glaser & Rice: increased guardianship
    2. Weatherburn et al: Ineffective parenting
Term
Effect of concentration of poverty on crime
Definition
  1. Concentration of poverty
    1. Lee: concentration = crime
Term
Jackson Toby on Social Contol Theory
Definition
  1. Stakes in conformity; good students don't break laws
  2. Peer support; peers with stuff to lose don't support delinquency
Term
Nye on Social Control
Definition

Youths with too much freedom or no freedom are most likely to become delinquent.

 

Test only describes effects of family on MINOR delinquent behaviours, students were also in high school therefore not dropouts.

Term
Katz on the meaning of the crime to the individual
Definition
There is no general theory beyond the moral transcendence that creates a 'thrill' in the criminal.
Term
Tittle on the motivation of crime for the individual
Definition
One must escape the control of others and impose control on others.
Term
Zimbardo and the Stanford Prison Experiment
Definition
  1. No one is good or bad, but respond to their environment
  2. People can quickly change personalities
  3. The power structure may trump one's morals
Term
Four criteria for inferring causation in science:
Definition
  1. Correlation
  2. Theoretical rationale
  3. Time sequence
  4. Absence of spuriousness
Term
Bernard, Snipes and Gerould (textbook) on positivist and classical theories
Definition

artificial differences because all are scientific

 

better separation: structure/process and individual difference theories

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