SOC 1500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: American Psychological Association, Social Learning Theory, Xyy Syndrome

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 1500
• Professor: Ryan Broll

Document Summary

This school of thought emerged in the 19th century, and is very closely related to the ideas of the enlightenment era. Darwin"s on the origins of species (1859) is a well known example of early positivist thinking that strongly influenced the development of criminological theorizing: survival of the fittest, natural selection. Applying social darwinism to the social world. Criminals are biological throwbacks (atavists: those who display primitive, ape-like characteristics are biologically predisposed to crime, crime is in somebody"s biological makeup. Criminals are identifiable by some of the following atavist characteristics: small and sloping forehead, large and protruding ears, beady eyes, strong jaw, bushy eyebrows, tattoos, high cheekbones. Lombroso said that female criminals possessed the following characteristics: deceitfulness, cunning, spite, short dark hair, and moles, genetically male-like. Ectomorph thin, fragile, shy, anxious, introverted. Mesomorph hard, muscular body, and an aggressive personality. According to sheldon, compared to other body types, mesomorphs are more likely to engage in criminal behaviour.