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Lecture 1 Into to Crim Theory
Criminological Theory (m900)
University of the West of England
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Intro to crimPreview text
Lecture 1- Introduction to the Module
Define Crime & Deviance Deviance = rule-breaking (contravention of informal & informal norms). Deviance = incivilities & morally disapprove conduct.
Behaviour which breaks a given set of rules’ rules which are accepted by the majority of people but breaks social conventions in the broader sense. It is considered as all forms of rule breaking like cutting a queue. It is considered to be anti-social or un-civil behaviour; it violates the informal rules that us as a society have set rather than the legal ones (e. suicide, begging, new age travelling, joining a religious cult etc.)
The study of deviance is broader than the study of crime.
Crime = law-breaking (contravention of formal norms). Crime = serious transgressions of formal norms.
Crime is a non-conformist activity of a particular kind; it is rule breaking behaviour which breaks the law. It is considered behaviour which violates the law. It is only law breaking if it is illegal and non-conformative.
Common-Sense Views of Crime, Deviance & Law Crime & Criminals: Criminals: Those who seriously violate public interests/morality. They refuse to live by the rules that others believe is necessary (e. burglars, murderers, paedophiles etc). There is nothing ambiguous about the criminal and they engage in acts that are simply znd obviously wrong/anti- social. The criminal acts with behaviour that is compatible with a civilised society; they are different to the rest of the law-abiding people.
Crime: The violations of public interests/morality committed by criminals.
Role of the Law Laws are not all the same and are included in a hierarchy; the greater the seriousness against the objective public interest the greater the public sanction. It is there to protect community interests and values- the criminal justice system is there to isolate law breakers from the community. It acts as a deterrence so that the wicked are not tempted to put criminal thoughts into criminal actions. The law protects the community from the community and without it, society would collapse.
Functions of Criminal Justice Punishment, Incapacitation, Deterrence, Community self-defence?
There are criminologists who endorse these ‘common-sense views’, such as Hagan:
Hagan holds a traditional interpretation of justice; serious acts of violence that we all think/agree are most wrong are what gives rise to the most serious criminal actions.
Deviance = collectively agreed wrongs.
Punishment reflects the seriousness of the offence.
Criminal deviances harm human beings and society. Only the most anti-social acts are criminalised. Behaviour which is classed as criminal will affect people.
Criminal Justice Punishment Crime Control.
Fundamentally rational/just as it protects us from the serious forms of wrongdoing. By punishing serious forms of deviance, we control crime through deterrence.
Criminology mostly corrodes. It teaches us that concept of the deviant and nature of criminal justice is not easy to define. The definitions are open to dispute; not definitive. No acts which are all and everywhere wrong.
‘Thou shalt not kill’, ‘Though shalt not steal the ox and donkey of your neighbour’.
No universal definition- crime and deviance are simply what specific people in specific times and societies think it is.
Crime and Deviance are socially constructive, culturally relative & historically variable.
Sociology of Deviance Crime & Deviance as socially defined & culturally relative:
Example 1- Incest within history was considered legal when practiced in highborn families such as the royal family; now it is an immoral and illegal. Example 2- Mixed raced unions under the apart ide regime were considered illegal whereas now in modern UK and US society it is not unlawful. Example 3- Homosexuality in Victorian Britain was immoral and if you identified this way you were considered psychologically ill and you were subjected to electric shock therapy to try and ‘fix’ you. Now in the UK it is legal to be in a homosexual relationship; however, some countries it is still frowned upon. Example 4- In western societies killing is considered the most heinous of crimes but in war-fair it is becoming acceptable and even commendable. If it is carried out by the state (in US), on death row, it is acceptable as well as in self-defence it is acceptable, but in certain circumstances.
Conclusion What can we learn about ourselves and society by studying criminology (and sociology of deviance)? Teaches us that none of us are quite as normal as we all think we are. It also teaches us that none of us are quite as abnormal as we think/label them to be. Nobody follows rule or laws all of the time and nobody breaks rules or laws all the time-depending on the circumstances. There is no such thing as criminal class which is separate from the rest of us. Paradoxically- people who follow the rules all of the time are the real deviants- this behaviour is abnormal.
Examine the family and the social background- a broken home, parental abuse, drug addict parents, the care system, poverty, educational failure. Understand the context and better understand the social alienation which led a person to crime. Should not celebrate abnormal behaviour, but we should learn from it and make it understandable. Not to condemn or moralise, our job is to understand crim and deviance scientifically, leading to the reduction of crime.
The ambivalence of boundary between ‘normality’ and ‘abnormality’. The rationality, maybe even morality of law-breaking (in context). Example 1- Teenage burglars Example 2-Rioters Hagan, J. (1984), The Disreputable Pleasures, Toronto: McGraw-Hill.
Lecture 1 Into to Crim Theory
Module: Criminological Theory (m900)
University: University of the West of England
