Sutherland

1
Sutherland Cressy (1960)

• Criminology is the scientific approach to
• a. the study of criminal behavior b.
  societys reaction to law violations and violators

2
Criminology vs. Criminal Justice

• Criminal Justice
• The Study of Agencies Related to the Control of
  Crime
• Criminology
• The study of crime trends, nature of
  crime,theories of crime
• Who Cares? Mostly pointy headed academics.

3
Criminology vs. Deviance

• Criminology Focuses on Crimes
• Crime violation of criminal law
• Deviance Focuses on Violations of Societal Norms
• These may or may not also be law violations

4
Criminology as a Discipline

• Until recently, (1970s) there was no such thing
  as a degree in criminology or criminal
  justice.
• 1900s-1970s Degree in sociology or urban studies
  (emphasis on crime).
• Implication? Sociology dominates.

5
Historical Roots of Criminology

• Middle Ages
• Superstition, religion, and fear
• Utilitarian philosophy of (Becarria)
• Free Will, Hedonistic Calculus
• Biological determinism (Lombroso)
• Sociological theory (Durkheim, Merton)
• Political philosophy (Marx)
• Theory Integration?

6
Categories of Contemporary Crime Theory
Psycho- logical Theory
Choice Theory
Integrated Theory
Biosocial Theory
Criminal Behavior
Conflict Theory
Social Process Theory
Social Structural Theory
7
Sub-Areas in the field of Criminology/Criminal
Justice

• Criminal Statistics (gather/interpret the facts)
• Sociology of Law (how and why law changes)
• Theory Construction (why people commit crimes)
• Penology (prison, rehabilitation, policing)
• Victimology (who gets victimized, how?)

8
Differing views on the causes and controls of
criminal behavior

• Consensus View
• Law defines crime Agreement exists on outlawed
  behavior
• Laws apply to all citizens equally
• Conflict view
• Law is a tool of the ruling class (to control
  the underclass)
• Crime is a politically defined concept
• Interactionist
• Moral entrepreneurs define crime
• Crimes are illegal because society defines them
  that way
• Criminal labels are life-transforming events

9
Doing Criminology Types of Research
Survey Research (cross-sectional research)
Longitudinal Research (cohort groups)
Aggregate Data Research
Experimental Research
Observational Research
10
Ethics in research!

• Political Viewpoints and Criminal Justice
• Funding Sources
• Political and Social Consequences of
  Findings/Results