CriminologyLesson 1 of 3 in the course Classical and positivist criminology

Biological, Psychological, and Social Positivism in Criminology

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces the Positivist School and examines biological explanations of criminal behavior. It also considers how early claims about physical traits and intelligence have been challenged by later research.

The Positivist School was founded by Cesare Lombroso and developed by Enrico Ferri and Raffaele Garofalo. It sought scientific objectivity in studying criminal behavior, using observation and measurement to identify its causes. As the scientific method grew in influence, positivists aimed to discover laws that could explain crime, rather than relying primarily on the Classical School's emphasis on free will and social philosophy.

All flashcards

What is positivist criminology?
An approach that uses observation and scientific inquiry to investigate causes and patterns of criminal behavior.
What is biological positivism?
The view that biological characteristics or inherited dispositions may contribute to criminal behavior.
What were physiognomy and phrenology?
Physiognomy inferred character from facial features; phrenology claimed mental traits could be read from skull shape.
What did Lombroso mean by atavism?
His claim that some offenders were evolutionary throwbacks, supposedly identifiable by physical characteristics.
Why interpret intelligence-and-crime studies of prisoners cautiously?
They study people caught and imprisoned, so their findings may not represent all people who commit crime.

Quiz questions

  1. Which three personality dimensions did Hans Eysenck propose?Answer: Introversion/extroversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism.
  2. In Durkheim's account, what social function can crime serve?Answer: It can help society clarify moral boundaries.
  3. Which processes did the Chicago School use to describe changing urban areas?Answer: Invasion, dominance, and succession.
  4. What did Bowlby's attachment theory propose about maternal deprivation?Answer: It could contribute to delinquency.
  5. What principle of punishment did the Classical School emphasize?Answer: Punishment should be proportionate to the offense.

Based on the Wikipedia article Positivist school (criminology), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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