Criminology Theory (20621)
- Year: 1
- Term: 2
- Course code: 20621
- ECTS Credits: 4
- Student hours: 100
Syllabus
This course is taught through a combination of participative lectures and discussion seminars and also requires independent study on the part of students.
The study of criminology theory, of the different explanations for the reasons for crime, is a fundamental subject in criminology. As a scientific discipline, criminology has always tried to answer the question as to why people commit crimes, and approaches have varied a great deal over the years: answers have been sought in the characteristics of individuals and societies, or by questioning the very definition of crime.
There are three key elements to this subject. Firstly, students need to be able to see that behind every crime policy and every measure adopted by societies which is designed to prevent and repress crime hides a theoretical position: an explanation of the reasons why people commit crimes and what can be done to prevent this. Secondly, criminology's theoretical tools enable us to give meaning to the data, put it into context and draw conclusions from it. Finally, the course aims to enable students to begin to think about criminology problems, not so much as well-informed citizens but as social scientists.
This course helps students to approach writing on criminology, empirical studies and criminal policy proposals independently and on the basis of their own criteria. It will enable them to develop or become aware of their own theoretical positions, to adapt them, and to understand the outcomes.
With respect to the contents, the first section centres on trying to define criminology theory, highlighting its usefulness in explaining and understanding crime and its relevance for drawing up crime prevention and reaction policies. The course then focuses on analysing the main perspectives or answers to the fundamental question of why some people commit crimes, the main responses to the committing of crimes, and the criminal policy outcomes which are derived from these responses. The last section is devoted to assessing the current, fundamentally eclectic, situation and some of the perspectives which have enabled criminology to advance in recent years, such as feminism and cultural criminology.
Contents section 1. DEFINITION AND USE OF CRIMINOLOGY THEORY
Topic 1.- CRIMINOLOGY THEORY
1.- What is a theory in social science? What is criminology theory? What are the uses of criminology theory?
2.- Types of criminology theory.
3.- Criteria for assessing criminology theory.
4.- The links between criminology theory, criminal justice and criminal policy.
Contents section 2. CRIMINOLOGY THEORIES, CURRENT PERSPECTIVES AND CRIMINAL POLICY OUTCOMES
Topic 2.- Crime as rational choice: from the classical school to rational choice theory
1.- The main theoretical ideas of the Enlightenment classical school. Their criminal policy outcomes.
2.- Current approaches: in particular, rational choice theory and routine activity theory.
3.- The practical outcomes of these theories: situational prevention. Concept, reality and critique.
4.- The projection of the classical school onto current penology: just deserts theory.
Topic 3. The Positivist School and biological crime theories
1.- What is positivism?
2.- Main theoretical ideas of the Positivist School. Criminal policy deriving from it. Problems.
3.- Current formulations of biological theories. Criminal policy outcomes and critique.
Topic 4. The Chicago School: ecological theories.
1.- The ecology of cities and social disorganisation: the Chicago School. Critique.
2.- New approaches; in particular, new disorganization factors and neighbourhood victimisation.
3.- Practical outcomes and critique.
Topic 5. Crime as social transmission: differential association theory.
1.- What is learnt or transmitted? How is crime learnt? Cultural theories and differential association theory. Problems. Criminal policy outcomes
2.- Current approaches: social transmission theory and its criminal policy outcomes
Tema Topic 6. Anomie theory.
1.- Anomie: from Merton to Agnew's Strain Theory. Other contributions (Cohen, Cloward-Ohlin).
2.- Current approaches: social theories and individualist theories. Problems and criminal policy outcomes.
Topic 7. Criminal subculture theory.
1.- Criminal subculture theory: Cohen's expressive subcultures and Cloward and Ohlin's instrumental subcultures.
2.- Current approaches, criminal policy outcomes and problems.
Topic 8. Control theory
1.- The relevance of social ties according to Hirschi. Problems.
2.- Current approaches to control theory: low self-control as the basis and explanation for all crime. Problems and criminal policy outcomes.
Topic 9. Labelling theory and the emergence of the criminal justice system as a new object of study.
1.- Context. The process of defining crime and the criminal. The criminal label and the assuming of criminal identity. Critique of official crime statistics.
2.- Problems and criminal policy outcomes of Labelling theory.
Topic 10. Critical Criminology, feminist criminology and cultural criminology.
1.- Main theoretical ideas: Marxist criminology and Critical criminology.
2.- Problems, current approaches and criminal policy outcomes.
3.- Feminist criminology.
4.- Critical criminology and postmodernism: in particular, cultural criminology.
Contents section 3. CRIMINOLOGY THEORY: NOW AND IN THE FUTURE
Topic 11.- Criminology now and in the future.
1.- The scientific debate between criminology theories: competition or integration.
2.- Some forms of theory integration.
3.- Life cycle criminology.