SOC 2700 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Enrico Ferri, Anthropological Criminology, Trait Theory

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2700
• Professor: Reza Barmaki

Document Summary

Tv shows and movies that portray violent criminals as mentally deranged and physically abnormal play an important part in our culture. Trait theories: these approaches look at the combination of biological and psychological attributes that might explain criminality. Trait theorists focus on basic human drives that are linked to antisocial behaviour- aggression, violence and impulsivity. They recognize that crime involves both personal traits, such as intelligence, personality, chemical and genetic makeup on the one hand and the environmental factors such as family life, educational attainment, and neighbourhood conditions on the other. Cesare lomborosos work on the born criminal and identification of primitive atavistic anomalies is based on what he believed to be sound empirical research established scientific methods. Raffaele garofol believed that certain physical characteristics indicate a criminal nature. Enrico ferri believed that biological and organic factors cause delinquency and crime.