SOC 302 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Cesare Lombroso, Property Crime, Social Forces
Document Summary
Violent crime v property crime: violent crime is going down. Peaked in 1991: property crime declining as well. Trend looks similar; peaked in 1990s and has been declining since. How are crime rates calculated: uniform crime reporting (ucr) Part i crimes- 8 serious crimes; what we derive crime rates from; what police cares about. The dark figure of crime- the gap between reported crime and actual time. Theories of crime: micro- ind explanations for actions/crime; psychological; in the head. Meso- ind interacting in social contexts; social interaction; individuals interacting with social groups: macro- societal explanations for criminal activity; social forces influencing individuals to commit crimes. Cesare lombroso: established classical school, which held that crime is a characteristic trait of human nature. Rational choice theory- humans are rational actors, and before acting we weigh the cost and benefits, then act trying to maximize our benefits and minimize our costs. attachment to other people respect the values and rules of society.
