CRJ 270 Exam 1

Social Disorganization

-Breakdown of bonds to society -Competition for resources -Inc inequality in wealth -Diversity/Heterogeneity

In pre-industrial societies, social order is based on what?

-Conduct norms about what one should or should not do as a member of the society. -Maintained through the strict enforcement of these social norms/customs that are widely shared & supported by the members of these communities. (Informal Social Control)

Which of the following is a public harm associated with the crimes of prostitution, gambling, drug use, and other "victimless" crimes?

-Harm to other family members affected by these crimes. -Harm to the state in modern societies. -Harm to public standards of morality.

Which of the following is considered a "national disease" in contemporary American society?

-the extension of law into nearly all aspects of American life. -hyperlexis

From a legal/legalistic perspective, what 3 elements are involved in law-violating behavior?

1) Actus Reus (Physical Act) 2) Mens Rea (Mental State) 3) Concurrence (Both Mental & Physical)

Normative/Moral

-Shared views of what someone ought or ought not do as members of a society. -Widespread agreement among members of a society about what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. -Criminal behavior represents conduct that violates public standards of morality

Which of the following are aspects of the scientific method for studying crime?

-comparative/historical analysis of risk factors and trends/patterns. -modeling arrest histories and factors associated with them. -data sources for counting the frequency of crimes (e.g., police data, victim surveys).

Under Becker's model, what two questions should be asked?

1) Is this person involved in law violating behavior? 2) What is the societal label/reaction to that person?

What are the 3 definitions of crime?

1) Normative/moral 2) Legal/Legalistic 3) Labeling/Interactionist

What are the major functions/purposes of criminal law in society?

1) Reinforce public standards of morality by strictly enforcing particular laws & punishing wrongdoing. 2) Protect the wider society by using criminal punishments to incapacitate in jail and prisons those who have committed criminal acts & by using the threat of punishment to deter those thinking about it. 3) Protect the interests of particular groups by legitimizing their behavior & using the criminal law to criminalize/penalize behavior that threatens these elite interests. 4) Maintain and regulate social order and social relations. Ex: Traffic 5) Provide a forum for state punishment that discourages acts of revenge by individuals/groups. 6) Provide a basis for Social Engineering

What kind of punishments are given in pre-industrial societies? (small, agrarian, and/or tribal)

Banishment, Death, or "Sanctioning in kind" (ex: Cutting off the hand of thieves)

Why does Japan's crime rate remain relatively stable?

Because Japan has maintained strong informal bonds due to cultural homogeneity/the preservation of uniform cultural values

Informal Social Control

Behavior is regulated by non-state authority

Hyperlexis

A "national disease" in the U.S. because laws regulate & control virtually everything we do in our daily lives. -Excessive legal controls

Legally, crime is defined as law-violating behavior that involves:

A physical act (actus reus), a mental state (mens rea), and concurrence (the union of the physical and mental elements).

Alienation and Anomie

Anomie- lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group. (Sense of normlessness in society)

According to conflict theory:

Criminal law is an instrument used by the ruling class and powerful groups to protect their interests and privileges.

Becker's Model Perceived as a criminal & engages in law violating behavior?

Criminals

Manifest

Explicitly stated reason for a law

Where would a normative definition of crime be more difficult to apply?

In highly diverse and industrialized societies because of greater cultural diversity and the lack of normative agreement about what should constitute criminal behavior.

T or F "Dead letter" laws are never enforced.

False

T or F Under a legal definition of crime, only acts that are done with the specific intent and result in the legally prohibited result are counted as criminal offenses.

False

T or F When countries go through the transformation from pre-industrial to industrial societies, it is inevitable that their crime rates will also increase.

False

T or F Within the concept of mens rea, there is only one type of intent & it is malicious in nature

False

Becker's Model Perceived as a criminal & does not engage in law violating behavior?

Falsely accused

Is increased crime an inevitable consequence of greater societal complexity?

Depends on the society's ability to maintain social control w/in the changing environment.

The idea of the "social construction" of criminal definitions is the basis of which definition of crime?

Labeling Definition

Becker's Model Perceived as Non-criminal & does not engage in law violating behavior?

Non-Criminal

What definition of conduct is the basis for criminal definitions in small, agrarian and/or tribal societies?

Normative/Moral

Laws that focus on teen drinking, disorderly conduct, hate crimes, compulsory school attendance, and similar problems demonstrate the concept of

Social engineering

Societal Complexity creates what chain reaction?

Societal Complexity>Social disorganization>Alienation/anomie>crime

Criminology

Scientific approach to the study of criminal behavior.

Becker's Model Perceived as Non-criminal & engages in law violating behavior?

Secret Criminal

Crime increases or decreases when societies become more diverse, industrial, and complex?

Increases

Social Complexity

Industrialization, urbanization, modernization, pop inc

Epidemiology

Involves its social, spatial, and temporal distribution. Social- Age, Sex, Race, Education, Income Spatial- Variation in crime rates across nations, regions w/in countries, rural/urban differences, & HOT SPOTS Temporal- Variation over time. Seasonality, day & time.

T or F Many old laws remain in state codes and city ordinances because it is often easier to modify an existing law or ordinance than it is to pass a new law.

True

T or F Pre-industrial societies often have a high level of agreement about the seriousness of particular offenses and the punishment for them.

True

T or F Surveys indicate that Americans disagree on the rating of the seriousness of occupational crimes like employee theft and income tax evasion.

True

T or F The purpose or function of any criminal law can often be determined by examining the original legislation and amendments to it. However, it is easier to detect the manifest functions than the latent functions of most law.

True

Etiology

The "causes" of criminal behavior ex: biological (chemical imbalance), psychological (low impulse control, inner conflicts, personality disorder), or sociological (environmental/economic conditions, social bonds, cultural differences)

Latent Functions

The hidden agenda of a law

Law Enforcement

The responses to crime by police, prosecutors, judges, and other officials within the criminal justice system.

When criminologists focus on the etiology and epidemiology of crime, they are concerned about the question of

law breaking

In contemporary industrialized societies, crime is thought to be a .... against the state & there is .... when it occurs

public harm, individual responsibility

Under a normative definition of crime, criminal behavior:

violates standards that are of importance to society.

For industrial societies, what definition of crime are they based on?

Legal norm violations

What is the response to crime in pre-industrial regions?

Retribution: "eye for eye" Collective Responsibility- All members of the offending party's family are responsible for the deviant act

Law Breaking

The extent, causes, consequences, characteristics, motivations/justifications for criminal behavior and its social and spatial distribution.

Retribution demonstrates the concept of :

The eye-for-an-eye doctrine

Under Becker's definition of crime, a person who engages in law abiding behavior but is perceived as a criminal is

falsely accused

Legal/Legalistic

-Crime is a violation of legal rules. Any conduct that is against the law

Law Characteristics of Industrial Society

-Crime is considered a public harm against the state -Individual responsibility -Meet various purposes: retribution, deterrence, and incapacitation -Social order maintained through the threat & enforcement of legal rules (formal social control)

Labeling/Interactionist

-No behavior is inherently criminal -Definitions of crime are socially constructed by those in power that have the ability to get their wishes and desires codified in law -Many discrepancies in what types of behaviors are considered illegal and legal. Ex: prostitution, marijuana.

Pre-industrial Society

-Relatively small size -Share common lang, heritage, culture, & religion -Hunters vs. gathers Examples: Colonial America, Tribal societies of Africa, & Island nations of South Pacific

Social Engineering

-Using the criminal law to eliminate undesirable social problems & to promote constructive social changes. Examples: Criminal Laws-Teen drinking, disorderly conduct, hate crimes, etc. Other Laws- Compulsory school attendance, public housing, equal opportunity/employment, etc.

Why is crime uncommon in pre-industrial societies?

1) Shared views on appropriate behavior 2) Collective responsibility 3) Effectiveness of informal social controls

Legal Definition of Crime most include...

1) The act must involve conscious, voluntary, public harm. 2) The offender must have criminal intent 3) The law must specify a punishment for any criminal act and the act must be illegal at the time it was committed.

What component of Criminology is most likely to address questions about the etiology and epidemiology of crime?

Law Breaking

Conflict Theory

The criminal law is an instrument used by the ruling class and powerful groups to protect their interests and privileges.

Under a legal definition of crime, which of the following statements is true?

There must be a physical act, a mental state, and a union of this mental state and physical act that leads to the legally prohibited result.

Law Making

Why are particular types of harmful behavior considered criminal acts, but other types of harms are not illegal? Differences in definitions of crime across jurisdiction.