CRM 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Markham District High School, Friedrich Engels, Canine Tooth

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRM 100
• Professor: Sam Lampropoulos

Document Summary

Positivist theory- focuses on biological and psychological factors, not legal systems to explain criminal behaviour. Criminal behaviour is caused by genetic or biological factors. The government can do nothing to prevent criminal behaviour. Sociological perspectives- focuses not on the individual or the legal system but on external physical and environmental factors as major contributors to criminal behaviour. Theory of anomie- once you move from a rural to urban area, you feel lost, isolated and gives certain people an opportunity to commit crime. Traditional values and bonds that come from the original setting are weakened. If there was no crime, everyone would be exactly the same, causes society to advance based on new crimes. Ecological school- neighborhoods with high level of poverty are more likely to codon crime and it is more acceptable. Social conflict theory- karl marx and frederick engels argued that in a capitalistic society, which encouraged competition for resources and wealth, crime was inevitable.