Evolution of Criminology in the Age of Realism

1. Development of Criminology SOC 112 Part 2

2. Age of Realism • New turn after Classical School - logic / scientific methodology - scientifically interpret a. End: “Age of Enlightenment” - philosophized b. Begin: “Age of Realism” - objective science - talking with / looking at / examining

3. Realism, cont. c. Scientific study - of science / methodology - “proceeding in systematic / methodical way” d. Auguste Comte (1798 – 1857) - French sociologist - positivist approach (physical to social) (1) 3 stages in human thinking

4. Realism, cont. - theoretical = mythological thinking - metaphysical / abstract = classical - scientific / positive = highest form (2) Fundamental change: slow - Positive School • Turning point - Charles Darwin: “Origin of the Species” - challenged doctrine of creation - more evolved / ridiculed

5. Realism, cont. a. Biological / cultural aspect - not individuals with “free will” b. Replaced: ‘DETERMINISM’ - behavior: physical / mental / environmental / social factors - beyond control c. Realism: asked new questions - search new ways / answer old questions - social sciences born

6. Modern Criminology • Cesare Lombroso (1835 – 1909) - “Father of Modern Criminology” - army physician / psychiatry professor / criminal anthropology professor a. Integrated positivism / evolutionism - relationship: crime to body - “The Criminal Man” - criminology: a modern science - investigation into causes

7. Lombroso, cont. b. Replaced free will / determinism - born criminal - lower life form - apelike ancestors - both traits / dispositions c. Atavistic stigmata - physical features - earlier stage of development - before becoming fully human

8. Lombroso, cont. d. Criminals have: - huge jaws / strong canine teeth - born female criminal: prostitute e. First clinical criminologist - categorize / classify types of criminals - first criminal typology f. Criminal types: - born / insane / criminoloids

9. Lombroso, cont. (1) Insane criminal - not from birth - change in brain - interferes with ability (right from wrong) (2) Criminoloids - ambiguous group - habitual / by passion - diverse types: epileptic / occasional g. Others: no enthusiasm / viewpoint

10. Lombroso, cont. h. Objectives of punishment - protection of society - improvement of criminal - should be individualized • Gabriel Tarde (1843 – 1904) - earliest sociological theories - rejected biological abnormality - normal people = learned crime - others = legitimate trades

11. Tarde, cont. a. “Laws of limitations” - how people become criminals b. Emulate behavior patterns - there is a pattern - all behavior (copy styles of dress) (1) Proportion to contact - intensity / frequency - more associate w/thief = become thief - associate w/college friends = college

12. Tarde, cont. (2) Inferiors imitate superiors - from town to country - upper class to lower class (3) Two behavior patterns clash - one takes place of other - guns replacing knives • Raffaele Garofalo (1852 – 1934) - follower of Positivist School - follower of Lombroso

13. Garofalo, cont. - law professor - not physical features = crime - psychological features - “moral anomalies” (deviation from norm) a. Natural crimes: all societies - offend basic moral sentiments - probity: respect property - piety: infliction of suffering b. Organic deficiency

14. Garofalo, cont. - not held responsible - death penalty: rid society of maladapted - natural selection process (1) Lesser offender - lesser punishment • Enrico Ferri (1856 – 1929) - leader of Positivist School - crimes result of 3 causative factors:

15. Ferri, cont. a. Anthropological - age / sex / occupation / social class / etc. b. Physical - race / climate / seasons / temperature / etc. c. Social - population / religion / family / financial / etc. d. Listed 5 types of criminal:

16. Ferri, cont. (1) Born / instinctive - propensity for crime from birth (2) Insane - affected by mental disease (3) Passional - crimes of passion or emotion (4) Occasional - product of family / social conditions

17. Ferri, cont. (5) Habitual - criminal by habit - product of social environment • Determinism - individual has no choice - biological / other factors remove choice a. Positivists reject free will - ‘Doctrine of Determinism’ - punishment fit needs

18. Determinism, cont. b. Hard determinism - no freedom of choice - place in society / mental abilities c. Soft determinism - limited choice d. Biological determinism - Lombrosian theory - born criminal - disputed by many

19. Determinism, cont. • Charles Goring (1870 – 1919) - medical officer / English prison a. Greatest challenge - 3000 prisoners / control group - students / soldiers / hospital patients b. Rejected “specific stigmata” - poor physical condition - defective state of mind

20. Body-Type Theories • Ernest Hooten (1887 – 1954) - another source: search for criminality - elusive link: crime / physical factors a. Biologically determined criminality - prisoners / non-criminal control group - 1939 concluded: “In every population there are hereditaryinferiors in mind and body as well as physical and mental deficients . . . . Our information definitely proves that it is from the physically inferior element of the population that native born criminals from native parentage are mainly derived.”

21. Body-type, cont. b. Somatotype School of Criminology - related body build to behavior - popular: first-half 20th century • Ernst Kretschmer (1888 – 1964) - German psychiatrist - 3 principle types of physique a. Asthenic - lean / slightly built / narrow shoulders

22. Kretschmer, cont. b. Dyplastic (athletic) - medium to tall / strong / muscular / coarse bones c. Pyknic - medium height / rounded face / massive neck / broad face d. Related to psychic disorders - depression / schizophrenia / etc. - associated types of crimes

23. Body-Type, cont. • William Sheldon (1898 – 1977) - brought Kretchmer’s work to US - formulated own somatotypes a. Dog breeder / points - worked out point system for humans - scale of 1 to 17 b. Endomorph - rounded body / short tapering limbs

24. Body-Type, cont. c. Mesomorph - large trunk / chest - muscles in hands / wrists d. Ectomorph - lean / fragile e. Mesomorphic = more criminal • Sheldon Glueck (1896 – 1980) / Eleanor Glueck (1898 – 1972)

25. Body-Type, cont. a. Supported Sheldon - used somatotypes with delinquents b. Somatotypes lost favor - similar to Hitler’s “eugenics” c. ‘New phrenology’ (jokingly) - “bumps on buttocks take place of bumps on skulls” d. Extra sex chromosome

26. Body-Type, cont. • Difference / defective theories - criminal: biochemically different - biochemical theory: Fredrick Wohler a. Premenstrual syndrome / tension (PMS / PMT) - violent personal crime - lower rate for women b. Chromosomal Abnormality - normal: 23 pairs / most cells

27. Difference / defective, cont. (1) Pair of sex chromosomes - XY men / XX women (2) Some men: extra X (XXY) - compare to criminal acts c. Central Nervous System - slow brain waves - compared with criminal d. Nutrition

28. Difference / defective, cont. - chemical imbalance - vitamin deficiency / low blood sugar - caused by diet • Richard Dugdale (1841 – 1883) - inherited criminality - clinical researcher a. 1000 members - 280 paupers / 60 thieves / 7 murderers / 40 other criminals

29. Inherited, cont. - 40 with venereal disease / 50 prostitutes b. Transmitting degenerative traits - discount today / serious early 1900s c. 1927: Oliver Wendell Holmes (Sup. Ct.) “It is better for all the world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind . . . three generations of imbeciles are enough.”