Writing assignment
Dee2019
traitdeterminismonline.pptxDeterminism
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Nature of Deterministic argument
Determinism: (in contrast to free will) assumes human behavior is determined or caused to at least a certain extent, by forces beyond the control of the individual. The individual does not control, for example, the family or society into which they are born. We are molded and shaped.
Thus, assumes, causes of criminal behavior differs at least to a certain extent from causes of noncriminal behavior.
Sociologists speak in probability terms not prediction terms. We can’t predict if a particular severely abused child will become a criminal or non-criminal. We do know that there is a greater probability for severely abused children to become criminal.
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Thus, assumes, causes of criminal behavior differs at least to a certain extent from causes of noncriminal behavior.
In other words, children who are not severely abused less likely to be criminal than those who are severely abused (different causes).
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Biological Determinism
The early history of criminology was dominated by biological determinism. It is important to understand the historical context of criminology. Even though the ideas are obviously not accepted today, it demonstrates that a large chunk of criminological time was distracted by the search for a biological type.
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The idea that a criminal had a biological difference, or at least an unusual physical appearance, had long been held by humans.
In the Illiad, Homer’s description of an evil man (Thersites): “One eye was blinking, and one leg was lame, His mountain shoulders half his breast o’er spread, Thin hairs bestrewed his long misshapen head.”
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Levin and Fox: argue still in modern times many still think that a criminal will have a certain look (shifty eyes, etc.)
In fact, if that is not the case, why does a lawyer wand a disheveled client cleaned up prior to court appearance?
Studies of mock juries with mock evidence: mock juries more likely to find and unattractive person guilty (culturally defined, of course)
Why?
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Cesare Lombroso: a biological determinist
The father of criminology as he was the first to apply science to the study of crime. As such, much early criminology dominated by his quest.
1876—The Criminal Man
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Ideas not taken seriously today, but he argued that criminals had various biological differences (e.g., head shape, asymmetrical faces, receding chins, ears standing out, etc.) that differentiated them from non-criminals. While the study of female criminals was neglected for much of the twentieth century, he maintained that female criminals were more virile in appearance.
Atavists–some criminals were born atavists, or throwbacks on the evolutionary scale
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In other words, this is pure biological determinism. If a person was an atavist, that person was born, more or less, to be a criminal.
The scientific part of his study was that he compared the measurements of noncriminal (Italian soldiers) with those of living and dead criminals (autopsies).
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Even Lombroso by the end of his life included factors other than biological factors.
1911—Crime: Its Causes and Remedies
Argued that many factors, including environmental, were related to crime causation
1) born criminals—atavistic reversions
2) insane criminals—(i.e., imbeciles, paranoids, dementia, epilepsy, hysteria, and alcoholism)
3) criminaloids—like modern notion of psychopaths
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The quest of Lombroso dominated and distracted criminology well into the 20th century.
E.g., as late as 1939 (at Harvard) Ernest Hooten was still looking for physical differences between criminals and non-criminals (firemen) and he still concluded that there were differences.
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Hooten’s List of physical differences
Criminals—more tattooing
Criminals—thinner beard and body hair and thicker head hair
Criminals—more straight hair
Criminals—more red-brown hair, less gray-white hair
Criminals—more blue-gray and mixed eye color
Criminals—more low and sloping foreheads
Criminals—more high narrow nasal roots and bridges
Criminals—more thin lips and compressed jaw angles
Criminals—more overbites
Criminals—more long thin necks and sloping shoulders
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Another biological argument made in the 1940s and 50s by William Sheldon and revived as late as the mid 80s by James Q. Wilson and Richard Herrnstein (at Harvard) in Crime and Human Nature
1) ectomorph: lean, skinny, fragile, delicate
2) mesomorph: muscular
3) endomorph: heavier, less muscular
They argued that mesomorphs most likely to be criminal.
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Heading to modern biological interpretations
Max Weber once argued the sometimes social scientists have to deal with “inconvenient facts.” Sociologists are socialized to favor the nurture argument in the nature-nurture debate.
Still, concordance studies done on twins (identical vs. fraternal) and adoptees (comparing records with biological and adoptive father) tend to suggest that there is something to the nature argument.
What do you think?
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(Lombroso and his early followers)
1)Biology causes crime
(a more modern way of looking at it)
2) Biology shapes social experience shapes crime
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E.g. XYY syndrome (an argument made a couple of decades ago and not widely accepted today) regarding this genetic anomaly
1) the genetic anomaly XYY is more likely to cause crime than XY (i.e., biology causes crime)
2) the genetic anomaly XYY causes certain physical traits (gangly limbs, severe acne) which leads to a greater likelihood of awkward social experiences for adolescents which increases the probability of crime (i.e., biology shapes social experience shapes crime)
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Modern: look at single traits or causes
Some examples for you to ponder: do you think that these are worthy of further study?
Biochemical conditions
(nutritional deficiencies, sugar in the diet, brain functioning, hypoglycemia)
Hormonal conditions
(testosterone, PMS, postpartum, ADHD)
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Some questions to ponder:
Do you think science will ever fully understand the human brain?
What role do you think that the brain plays in criminal behavior?
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Psychological Determinism
Psychology determinism: located in the individual
Personality: emotional and behavior attributes tending to remain constant as the individual moves from situation to situation
Gleuks: (Harvard) in one of the largest studies ever done comparing matched delinquents with non-delinquents, the Gleucks argue that extroversion was more likely to produce delinquency that introversion
Eysenck argues that either extreme extroverts or extreme introverts more likely to be antisocial
Some researchers now focusing on impulsivity, irritability, and low self-control (whatever the cause)
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Psychopths: a pervasive pattern of disregard for the rights of others; a lobotomized morality; haven’t internalized the norms of society; lack conscience; lack remorse; don’t learn from others
Most criminologists who study serial murder argue that it is the most common profile of a serial murderer
The psychopath understands the difference between right and wrong but just doesn’t care.
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Mental illness – especially serious mental illness– can also be a cause of crime. Basically, the legal standard – although – it is varied boils down to whether or not the person can understand the difference between right and wrong.
Since criminology was dominated by sociologists rather than psychologists after being wrestled away from the biologists sociological explanations are more prominent in the explanation of crime.
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