Introduction to NonSociological Theories. Examining Physiological and Psychological Explanations to Crime and Deviance

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1 Introduction to NonSociological Theories Examining Physiological and Psychological Explanations to Crime and Deviance

2 Introduction to Non-Sociological Explanations This part of the course focuses on: Physiological explanations: o Lombroso o Sheldon o Moir and Jessel o Price Psychological explanations: o Eysenck o Bowlby PHYSIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS Explain crime and deviance through biology. Some people are prone to be criminals due to their genetic make-up. Genetically inherited characteristics predispose people towards deviance. LOMBROSO (1876) L UOMO DELIQUENTE The Italian Doctor believed he found a link between physical characteristics and criminality. He is often referred to as the founding father of criminology. He believed that delinquents are throwbacks to primitive man and can be identified through several characteristics: Large jaw High cheek bones Large ears Extra nipples, toes and fingers Insensitivity to pain High arched eyebrows Love of orgies Irresisti ble craving for pain

3 Lombroso saw criminals as suffering from an illness, this illness cannot be beaten or cured and people are therefore allocated criminality at birth, there is nothing we can do about this! He suggested that if a person s arm span (that s both arms measured together!!) is longer than a person s height then that person would be pre-disposed to crime. Measure your arm span and your height. Are you a criminal according to Lombroso s theory? How does this tie into his theory of primitive man?. Masters and Greaves (1969) Studied facial deformities in 11,000 prisoners and found that 60% of them had facial deformities by comparison of 20% of a noncriminal population. Criticisms of Lombroso Lombroso s work was based in an Italian prison. His sample was therefore biased. The prisoners were usually from a poor background, their diets would have been bad and this could explain their deformities. Moreover the fact that a number of prisoners had these deformities could cause them to be social outcasts and therefore commit crimes because of this not because of their actual physical deformities

4 SHELDON (1942) Found a causal relationship between physical build and delinquent activity. He found that individuals with a mesomorphic build were more aggressive and more prone to criminality. Slender, fragile, sensitive, restrained, intelligent Soft, round, comfortloving, sentimental, tolerant, sociable Muscular, athletic, active, energetic, risk takers, dominant, prone to deviance Combination of all three Criticisms of Sheldon Could be that individuals with a mesomorphic body are more likely to attract aggressive behaviour. MOIR AND JESSEL (1997) They believed that a low IQ was inherited and this is the main cause of criminality and deviance. They believe that crime is caused by low levels of serotonin in the body. They believe that individuals with ADHD are more prone to criminality and deviance. PRICE (1966) Popular belief in the 60 s in criminology linked crime and deviance to chromosome abnormality. Men have XY chromosomes and women have XX chromosomes, Price discovered that those with an extra Y chromosome were more likely to be criminal. Research done in Scottish State Hospital for criminally insane found that 28% of men had an extra chromosome

5 Overall Criticisms of Physiological Ideas Taylor, Walton and Young all these explanations can be explained in other ways. Most of the prison population is made up of lower working class males. Reasons for committing such crimes can be linked to their class rather than their physical deformities. Those with extra chromosomes/physical deformities etc have an abnormal appearance and this may cause individuals to behave oddly as it can prevent them from having a normal life PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS 1. See deviants as different from the population as a whole 2. Abnormal in a normal population 3. Abnormally predisposed to deviance. EYSENCK Crime and deviance can be explained through inherent character traits. People with an extrovert personality are more likely to break the law as they crave attention, take chances and act on the spur of the moment. Personality can be seen as a spectrum ranging from extrovert to introverts. Introverts are the opposite of extroverts and are therefore less likely to be criminal. Look at the questions over the page and decide where you would fall on the extrovert-introvert spectrum

6 ARE YOU AN EXTROVERT OR AN INTROVERT? (E/I) Extroverts tend to be more naturally active, expressive, social, and interested in many things. If you are an Extrovert you get energy from interacting with people. You have high energy. You like to talk a lot. You often think out loud. You figure things out by talking about them. You like to be around people a lot. You may like to be alone part of the time, but knowing when you'll be with people is very important. You like to be the center of attention. You develop ideas through discussion. If you have a problem you are quick to turn to others to share it. You like to have a lot of friends. You like working in teams. You are expressive, outgoing, enthusiastic, and uninhibited. You tolerate noise and crowds. You are energized by action, people, and things. You like meeting new people, and you meet people readily. You share personal information easily. You are easy to get to know. You prefer to do lots of things at once. You have a single layered personality; you tend to be the same in public and in private. Introverts tend to be more reserved, private, cautious, and interested in fewer interactions, but with greater depth and focus. If you are an Introvert you get your energy from within. You have quiet energy. You like to talk less and think quietly inside your head. You prefer to solve problems alone, perhaps asking others' opinions once you have the options figured out. While you enjoy other people, being with them does drain your energy. You prefer a small group of people you already know. You proceed cautiously in meeting people. You are reluctant to share personal information. If you go to a large social function you will not want to stay long. You like to spend time alone, and you feel comfortable being alone. You would rather do a big project alone or with one other person, than to work closely with seven or eight people. You like to avoid crowds and seek quiet. Others see you as shy, quiet, and inhibited. You are energized by ideas, feelings, and impressions. You are private, self-contained, and reserved. You prefer to focus on one thing at a time. You are different in public and in private. You have a rich inner life. There is a slight difference between shyness and introversion. Introverts enjoy solitude. Shy people, on the other hand, often desperately want to be closer to other people, but are afraid, or don't know how. Introverts are wired differently from Extroverts and they have different needs. Where do you think you fall on the Extroversion/Introversion Scale? Extrovert Introvert

7 BOWLBY (1946) Conducted a study entitled Forty-Four Juvenile Thieves. Believed that crime and deviance is linked to maternal deprivation. From his sample studied Bowlby identified 14 affectionless psychopaths. Out of that 14, 12 had suffered prolonged separation from their primary carer. Overall criticisms Again this approach neglects social and cultural factors The methods used are also suspect, in psychology there is little agreement as to what constitutes mental health and how to measure personality Childhood is also far too prioritised, just because someone is mistreated as child does not mean to say they will go on to become criminals Psychology treats criminals as an illness, move back to 14 th century with the idea that people were possessed by devils. The devils were removed with exorcism by priests. We have replaced the priest with a psychologist. Problem with psychological approaches is that they can be dangerous. Some psychiatrics in the 70 s said that all 6 year olds should be treated to uncover any criminal tendencies and given psychiatric treatment. In the USA this was a seriously considered approach

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9 Theorist Overview Criticism Lombroso Sheldon Moir and Jessel Price Eysenck Bowlby