SOC611 Official Handouts

Lesson 01 · INTRODUCTION OF CRIMINOLOGY · TOPIC 001-005 · Topic 001: Criminology: An introduction

It is a discipline which introduces students to the field of criminology: its nature, area of study, and historical development. Moreover, this discipline will discuss the reasons of people's involvement in crimes and why former victims of crime take interest in this subject. In addition, relationship of crime and human being will also be discussed. Criminologists devote their careers to understanding human nature, both good and bad. They ask this fundamental question:

Why do people behave the way they do?

What truly motivates someone to go for criminal activities? Either it is because of sociocultural environment or psychological reasons.

Different Views of Criminologists

Some experts view criminal offenders as society's victims, unfortunate people who are forced to violate the Law because they lack hope for legitimate opportunity; criminals are a "product of their environment." Others view antisocial behaviour as a product of mental and physical abnormalities, present at birth or soon after, which are stable over the life course; is it possible that criminals are "born and not made"? Still another view is that crime is a rational choice of greedy, selfish people who can only be deterred through the threat of harsh punishments. We will explore these and other views of crime causation.

Importance

Study of criminology is necessary to predict and control crime. The scientific study of crime—is considered a modern science, it has existed for more than 200 years It also discusses the social history of Law, the purpose of Law, and how Law defines crime.

Topic 002: Definition of criminology

According to different criminologists, few definitions are given below:

1.Edwin Sutherland:

American criminologist Edwin Sutherland defined criminology as: 'the body of knowledge regarding crime as social phenomena. It includes within its scope and process of making laws, breaking laws and of reacting towards the breaking laws…..the objective of criminology is the development of a body of general and verified principles and of other types of knowledge regarding the process of laws, crime and treatment and prevention".

2.Wolfgang and Ferracuti Append:

The term criminology should be used at designate a body of scientific knowledge about crime (emphasis in original). criminology is the body of knowledge on the phenomenon of crime or the study of it".

3. Thorsten Sellin:

Thorsten Sellin in 1983 suggests that: 'the term be used to designate both "the body of scientific knowledge and the deliberate pursuit of such knowledge".

Topic 003: History of Criminology-I

During the early middle Ages (1200-1400), superstition and fear of satanic possessions dominated thinking. People who violated social norms or religious practices were believed to be witches or possessed by demons. The authorities were on guard against satins offspring who engaged in acts ranging from witch crafts to robbery. Concern about crime and justice has been an important part of the human condition for more than 5,000 years. Although criminology—the scientific c study of crime—is considered a modern science, it has existed for more than 200 years.

Nicholas Remy

Between 1581 to 1590, Nicholas Remy, Head of the inquisition in the French province of Lorraine, ordered 900 sorcerers and witches burned to death. An estimated 100,000 people were prosecuted throughout Europe for witchcraft during the sixteen and seventeenth century.

Topic 004: History of Criminology -II

Classical Criminology

According to classical criminology human behaviour was a result of rational thought process. Criminal behaviour could be eliminated or controlled if would be law violators could be convinced that the pain of punishment exceeds the benefits of crime.

Nineteenth- Century Positivism

According to Comte, societies pass through stages that can be grouped on the basis of how people try to understand the world in which they live. There are two main elements of

Biological Positivism (criminal activities due to genes)

Social Positivism (criminal activities due to social environment)

The Chicago School and beyond

The primacy of sociological positivism as the intellectual basis of criminology was secured by research begun in the early twentieth century by Albion W. Small (1854-1926), who have the fame Sociology Department at the University of Chicago. Edwin Sutherland, one of the pioneers of criminology subject worked on white collar crime through Chicago School.

Topic 005: Contemporary Criminology

Rational choice theorists argue that criminals are rational and use available information to decide their criminal actions embedded in deterrence, social structure and given social conditions. The sociological tradition, linked back to Quetlet and Durkheim, maintains that individual's lifestyles and living conditions directly control their criminal behaviour. In some cases, children learn to commit crime by interacting with and modelling their behaviour after others they admire, whereas other criminal offenders are people whose life experiences have shattered their social bonds to society.

Theoretical Perspective

•  Contemporary structural and social ecological theory holds that:(a) a person's place in the social structure control's his or her behavioural choices and (b) due to the ecological conditions they face, those at bottom of the social structure, cannot achieve success and instead experience anomie, strain, failure and frustrations.
•  Sociological social psychology theories remain influential with contemporary criminologists. In their modern incarnation, they suggest that individual's learning experiences and socialization directly control their behaviour.