Questions 11-11
Identify the concept used by Cesare Lombroso to suggest that criminality is the result of primitive urges that survived the evolutionary process.
Lombroso believed that some “criminals can be distinguished from noncriminals by their physical manifestation of atavistic or degenerative physical anomalies” (Schafer, 1969:126). In his view they were biologically inferior and were produced from an earlier stage of human evolution. According to Lombroso, “the degenerate was a product of diseased ancestral elements which ceased to evolve progressively and give evidence of the process of devolution, so that pathological individuals manifest rudimentary physical and mental attributes of primitive man” (Manheim, 1972:247). He came to believe that these criminals were not just a variation of man, but its own subspecies.
While conducting his research, Lombroso argued that there were many different types of criminals, each with their own distinct characteristics. His categories included the insane criminal, the criminaloid and the born criminal. Besides these were two other types, the habitual criminal and the political criminal.
In his book, Criminal Man, first published in 1911, Lombroso groups the epileptic and morally insane into a group of lunatics. Lombroso goes on to state that these offenders are not born criminals, “but become such at a given moment of their lives, in consequence of an alteration of the brain, which completely upsets heir moral nature and makes them unable to discriminate between right and wrong” (Lombroso-Ferrero, 1911:74). Those afflicted with general paralysis, melancholia, dementia, and pellagra, as well as idiots and imbeciles constitute the insane criminal. In addition to these, Lombroso makes exceptions for the special forms of criminal insanity to include those afflicted with alcoholism, epilepsy and hysteria.
The second category of criminals, the criminaloid, was responsible for nearly a third of all criminality (8). This category of criminal does not possess the same skeletal similarities as the born criminal; however they may show similarities in physical characteristics. The real difference between the born criminal and the criminaloid is the age at which the latter becomes involved in crime. Criminaloids were thought to commit their offenses later in life and had a tendency to commit criminal acts of lower intensity. They were also known to show reluctance in commission of crime as well as to confess. Over a period of time, this type of criminal is tempted toward crime and finally succumbs.
Lombroso-Ferrero (1972: 8) states that “Born criminals form about one third of the mass of offenders, but, though inferior in numbers, they constitute the most important part of the whole criminal army, partly because they are constantly appearing before the public and also because the crime committed by them are of a peculiarly monstrous character”. While conducting his research, Lombroso believed that the born criminal was related to the imbecile as well as the epileptic. Continued analysis led to the discovery of similarities in physical constitution and mental characteristics between the born criminal and imbeciles (251). Lombroso used epilepsy as a means of explaining the shared bond connecting the two.
The habitual criminal was best described as one who entered a lifestyle of crime by way of a number of circumstances. An example of a habitual criminal would be a member of organized crime. Political criminals were distinguished by their violent nature. Most of these violent acts were based on anger, love, or honor. Although these characters displayed great intellect, altruism, religious ideals, and patriotism, they were also thought to be pathological due to their high rates of suicide.
Lombroso generally used the same techniques to classify female offenders as he did males. Although the amount of crime committed by females was much lower than that of males, he believed that females were more ferocious in their acts. Most of his ideas concerning female criminality were based on the idea that they were more like children than males. He believed that they were vengeful, jealous, morally deficient, and predisposed to cruelty.
As well as physical characteristics, Lombroso proposed a number of other factors including differences in sensory functioning, lack of moral sense and other symptoms. A greater threshold for pain, keener sight, an excellent sense of sight and smell, as well as greater strength in the left side of the body separated born criminals from their counterparts. The lack of moral sense associated with born criminals is expanded to include “an absence of repentance and remorse…cynicism, treachery, vanity, impulsiveness, vindictiveness, cruelty, idleness…” (Manheim, 1972:251). Other characteristics contributing to crime include special criminal slang, a propensity to express themselves visually and tattooing.
(2) According to the NCVS, which racial group experience the highest rates of violent victimization.
Teen aged black makes have the highest victimization rate (113 per 1000).
(3) Explain the Rational Choice Theory
In criminology, the rational choice theory states that humans have reasoning ability and they weigh all the possibilities and make a rational choice of whether to commit an action or decide not to.
(4) Name and discuss Clarence Ray Jeffery's three principle components of criminology.
The offender/criminal—There can be no crime committed unless there is an “actor”, a person who does it.
Explanation of the crime—Certain elements must be present for it to be a crime, and there is always an explanation, sometimes justifying the actions, and sometimes not. An example of the justification would be self-defense.
Treatment/behavior modification—There needs to be consequences and possibly other types of proactive treatment to address the crime and possibly deter repetitive crime.
(5)Explain the cause of increased crime rates among recent imigrants according to Thomas and Znaniecki
They did a study published in 1920 concerning the high crime rates among Polish-American immigrants. They that fast social change as a cause of social disorganization and resulting instability resulted in high crime rates.
(6) Define differential selection and how can the problem of differential selection be reduced?
Differential selection is also called natural selection. It means different survival characteristics that are selected for. It is the process in which more favorable traits due to mutation that are in a select few in a population produce more viable offspring.
(7) Discuss the concept of concentric zones and identify who developed it.
Urban model introducec by Burgess in 1927, based on his studies on Chicago.He saw Chicago as a city in an industrialized country, expanding radically from its centre in a series of concentric zones.He suggested that the expansion and the formation of these concentric zones were created by succession and invasion, as the occupiers of each inner zone, seeking what they saw as more agreeable locations, moved outwards to colonize the next outer zone. From the centre outwards he identified the concentric zones as: 1 the inner Central Business District; 2 a transition zone (Inner City) with residential areas invaded by business and industry from the core, the run-down dwellings being subdivided and overcrowded and inhabited by poor immigrants, especially ethnic minorities; 3 a low-income residential zone with second generation immigrant dwellings; 4 a middle-income residential zone with one family dwellings; 5 an outer commuting zone with higher income dwellings in suburban areas and satellite towns. He acknowledged that the general, simplified pattern would be modified if applied to other cities (e.g. by terrain, routes and other constraints); but he suggested that radial expansion along a broad front, stimulated by invasion and succession, was a dominant process in the shaping of the pattern of a city
(8) Name the requirements for punishments to be an effective impediment to crime according to modern-day advocates of general deterrence.
(9) What early biological theory studied the shape of the head to predict criminality?
In 1791, Franz Joseph Gall said the shape of the skull could predict criminality.