1 / 16

Classical Theory

Classical Theory. Deviance as Rational Choice. Cultural Factors. Enlightenment (18th Century): Philosophical/Cultural Movement Humans as creatures of Reason/ Rationality decline of religious cosmology birth of modern science. Social Structural Factors. Population Urbanization

matthew-weiss
Download Presentation

Classical Theory

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Classical Theory Deviance as Rational Choice

  2. Cultural Factors • Enlightenment (18th Century): Philosophical/Cultural Movement • Humans as creatures of Reason/ Rationality • decline of religious cosmology • birth of modern science

  3. Social Structural Factors • Population • Urbanization • Decline of church authority • Nation-state • individual as primary political "unit" • state as will of the people • social contract

  4. Cesare Beccaria • Essay on Crimes and Punishments (1764) • Key principles of classical theory • Naturalness of the social contract • Rational rule of state law • Belief in free will • Goodness of reason/rationality

  5. Key ideas in Essays • The need for rational punishments to preserve the social contract • Legislative Determination of Law, Judicial Determination of Guilt • Deviance is Hedonistic and Rational: Maximize Pleasure, Minimize Pain • Punishment is Rationally Calculated Social Control • Deterrence is the Goal of Social Control • Control acts, not actors

  6. Which Acts are Deviant? • To be determined by legislatures • Those acts which violate the public good • Beccaria: "demonstrable social harm"

  7. Modifications of Beccaria's Ideas • Premeditation • criterion of intentionality • free will is implied in planning • Mitigating Circumstances • Insanity

  8. Neo-Classical Theory • Deviance is rational choice • Fixed and mandatory punishments • Warn all that offenders will be punished • Reduce judicial discretion • Strengthen police powers • Cut back on individual rights • Treat juveniles as adults • Eliminate parole

  9. Deterrence: Severity, Certainty, Celerity • Special Deterrence: • prison experience will prevent offenders from committing future crimes on release • chronic offenders • General Deterrence: • threat of prison will deter others from becoming criminals • severity and certainty (Gibbs, 1968) • severity versus certainty • certainty >> severity (Tittle) • overload effect

  10. Chronic Offenders • (Delinquency in a Birth Cohort, by Marvin Wolfgang, Thorsten Sellin, & Robert Figlio) • N = 9,945 • All boys born in 1945 • Residing in Philadelphia from at least 10 through 18 years

  11. Chronic Offenders • Police contact • None • One • 1<>5 (non-chronic recidivists) • Chronic recidivists

  12. Chronic Offenders • 65% (6,470): No contact • 35% (3,475) At least one contact • 46% (of the offenders): One-time offenders (1,598) • 48% (of the offenders): 1<>5 offenses (Non-chronic recidivists: 1,668) • 6% (of the offenders): More than 5 offenses (Chronic recidivists)

  13. Chronic Offenders • Mean = 8.5 delinquent acts apiece • 52% of all offenses • 71% of homicides • 73% of rapes • 82% of robberies • 69% of aggravated assaults

  14. Chronic offenders • Common Traits: • Began delinquency earlier • 77% of them from low SES • 9% of them H.S. grads • Vs. 24% 2-4 offenses; 58% 1-timers; 74% non-delinquents • Lower IQ • Poor school performance • High proportion from “broken homes”

  15. Problems with deterrence doctrine • Assumes high apprehension • Assumes public knowledge • Assumes rationality

More Related