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An Essay on crimes and punishment
Cesare Beccaria's most notable work. He writes against the social class, how the justice system is arbitrary, and he proposes a new thought to the justice system. Founded on the idea that people are rational and decide to participate in criminal activity. -
Deterrence Theory
Take measure of their direct experience with direct experience (specific) and vicarious experience (general).
Hypothesis: People who have been punished will be less likely to engage in crime less than those who avoided punishment.
Also includes two forms of deterrence.
1) Specific deterrence: means that the punishment will stop an offender from re-offending
2) General deterrence is the effect the punishment has on the entire population. -
Father of Criminology
Cesare Lombroso is considered the Father of Criminology. Most noted for his positivist approach with a controversial biological aspect. Associating degenerant-like features to criminality. -
Émile Durkheim
French sociologist, social psychologist and philospoher. Regarded as one of the fathers of sociology, he desrcibe anomic societies. -
The Criminal Man
Cesare's Lombroso's most notable piece. Argues criminals are "born". -
Edwin Sutherland
American sociologist that brought symbolic interactionism to criminology. Known for defining white-collar crime and differential association, and a general theory of crime. -
Anomie
Anomie is the lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group. Created by Emile Durkheim. -
Robert. K Merton
Sociologist who developed strain theory. Awarded Nation Medal of Science for founding the sociology of science. Considered the father of modern sociology. -
Women's Right to Vote
19th Amendment ended women's suffrage. This changed the United States as it gave the women the right to vote and changed the culture of America. -
Differential Association
proposed by Edwin Sutherland, this theory suggests that through the interactions with others, one learns criminal behaviour, techniques, motives, and attitudes. -
Concentric zone model
Geographically maps crime. Based out of Chicago, one of America's most crime-ridden city. Shaw and McKay later sought to empirically test this. Created by sociologist Burgess. -
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
Adolf Hitler was appointed to Chancellor of Germany. History tells us that this was not the best move the Germans have done -
Travis Hirschi
American sociologist who helped to develop contemporary versions of social control theory and self-control theory of crime. -
Germany Invades Poland
German Army invade Poland without notice. Planes bombed the nation's capital, Warsaw, intiating the Second World War. -
Attack on Pearl Harbour
Imperial Japanese Navy surprises the Hawaii Naval base. This attack may be responsible for American racism against the Japanese. -
Stanley Cohen
A British criminologist who is responsible for helping the shift of criminology; causality of crime to a social reactance of crime. -
End of WW2
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Korean War Starts
North Korea attacks South Korea -
Edwin Lemert
Sociology professor that wrote about deviance.
From primary to secondary deviance (Lemert)
• Very little consequence on how people define themselves
• Primary: no consequence to your identity, you engage in deviance but doesn’t label you as a criminal
• Secondary: deviance that occurs you see yourself as a deviant/criminal and aligning your actions with that. When other people identity you as some form of deviant, secondary deviance occurs. Internalizing the label. -
Civil Rights Movement
Socio-political movement whose goal was to end racial discrimination and segregation of African Americans in the United States. This event is important as it demonstrates a cultural shift in one of the first steps to end racism. Result of this movement also lead to the creation of the Civil Rights Act which prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, and national origin. -
Strain Theory
Made by Robert. K. Merton, this criminological theory states that the society pressures indivciduals to achieve socially accepted goals. If they lack the means to achieve the goals, it will lead to strain which breeds criminal behaviours. -
Techniques of neutralization
Most cited work in criminology. Written by Sykes and Matza, they saw that there are 5 Techniques to neutralize (give reasons to commit crime).
1. Denial of responsibility (compelled to do something)
2. Denial of the victim
3. Condemnation of the condemners (look at the people who are going to judge you, and say who are you to judge me?)
4. Appeal to higher loyalties (admission to doing something bad, but serves a higher purpose)
5. Denial of injury -
Control Theory
Control theories look at why people engage in crime. Posit that crime is attractive. -
Labeling Theory
Interests of labeling theory (symbolic interactionism)
1. What are the consequences of being labeled criminal?
2. The “social construction” of crime
3. How are laws applied?
Being labelled criminal, leads to further criminal behaviour. -
First Person in Space
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space. This is important as it was the "space war" between the United States and Russia; increasing political tension and showing the advancement of techonology. -
Berlin Wall Erected
66 miles long wall separates east and west Germany. Approximately 200 people died trying to cross the wall. The wall symbolizes the poltiical and sociological divide around the world. -
Cuban Missle Crisis
A confrontation between Cuba, United States, and the Soviet Union. This is important because it showed global turmoil between large polticial forces that could have resulted in a global nuclear war. -
JFK Assassinated
This event is important because it is one of the highest crimes someone can commit in the United States. Murder and treason by killing the President. -
Aker's Social Learning Theory
4 ways of learning criminal behaviour. Differential association (opportunity to commit crime), definitions (once you have the opportunity, you learn the rules and norms of criminogenic cultures), Imitation (performing), differential reinforcement (reward or punishment for good or bad performance). -
Social Bond Theory
Why don't people commit crime? Because 4 bonds hold you back.
Attachment (affection for others), Commitment (work, goals), Involvement (time to spare, idle hands are the devil's playground), and Belief (belief in the legitimacy of the rules). -
Everett Klippert
Last Canadian man to be charged, prosecuted, and incarcerated for being homosexual in 1969 -
Watergate Scandal
President Nixon resigned from office due to his cooperation in the Watergate Scandal. He becomes the first President in United States history to resign from office. -
Routine Activity Thoery
Routine Activity Theory
Motivated offender + opportunity = crime
•Daily routines, pattern of life help create/reduce crime
•Micro level: focuses on the individual behaviours you can do that leads to be a victim of crime… or crimes more available.
•Macro level: large scale sociodemographic changes that affect a large amount of people’s daily lives. Encourage or reduce certain types of crime. Large scale, patterns and chances in everyday lives.
Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson -
Internet to the Masses
This is important because the internet changed the world and gave criminals more opportunity to commit crime. -
Broken Windows Theory
Police focusing their efforts on small crimes and breaches of social order to reduce the acceptance of crime. This lowers the chance of serious crimes to develop. The unchecked pan-handler leads to theft, to prostitution, to murder. -
Crime Shame and Reintegration
John Braithwaite's reintegrative shaming principle. Calls for an alternative justice system, a rehabilitative one. One that does not 'stigmatize' the offender but reconciliates them. Works best in communitarian societies. -
Tienanmen Square Massacre
Chinese Army massacres hundreds of their own people on television. -
Berlin Wall Falls
The Berlin Wall falls. West and Easy Germany are united again after nearly 30 years of seperation. -
Nelson Mandela becomes a Free Man
released after 27 years, Nelson Mandela becomes a free man. This is important because a person of colour broke down the cultural stigma against racism. -
General Theory of Crime
Theory by Hirschi and Gottfredson
Low self-control + opportunity = crime
Low self control: immediate gratification, self-centred, desire for risk and thrills, low tolerance for frustration, disinterested in long-term pursuits -
OJ Simpson Trial
Celebrity murder trial held in Los Angeles County Superior court. -
9/11
A series of four coordinated terrorist attacks against large United States buildings including the Pentagon, World Trade Centre, and a failed attempt for the White House. Launched the War on Terror and racially divided the United States between caucasains and people of colour. -
Facebook
One of the largest social media networking applications was founded by Mark Zuckerberg. This is important because it connects all users around the globe. Users have been known to use facebook to engage in criminal behaviours such as assault, harassment, live video streaming of crimes. Facebook also illustrates cybercrime. -
Hurricane Katrina
A category 3 hurricane that became one of the five deadliest and costliest natural disasters in American history. -
Recession
Called the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. People lost their jobs, houses, and everything they owned overnight. People resorted to other measures (crime) to help provide for their families. -
First Black President of America
First Black President, Barack Obama was elected in 2008. This shows a racial change in in the United States.
