Positivist Criminology Review (Chapter 3) Flashcards
The Positivist School
The positivist school of criminology developed the first scientific perspective on crime and criminals
While the emergence of modern scientific thought can be traced to the 1700s, the usual beginning date of positive school is associated with Lombrosso’s work in the 1870s
Compared to classical schools, positivists emphasized empiricism and valued scientific expertise
Positivism
Positivism is actually not a theory but a philosophy related to the use of science in regulating the world around us
What are the basic features of positivism?
Systemic observation
Accumulation of evidence
Objective fact
Deductive framework
What are some factors that influenced those working on crime and criminal issues during the early days?
Medicines embrace science
Application of science to industry and agriculture
Emergence of complex, industry and agriculture
What is Phrenology
Franz Joseph Gall & Johnann Gaspar Supurheim
Head structure
They assumed your head structure related to behaviour
Popular in the U.S
Who is Andre Guerry
He created social statistics by combining nations’ new social data collections with geographical areas
Who is Adolphe Quetelet
They used probability theory to create an average person from social data matched to geographical areas
Who is Cesare Lombrosso
Considered the father of Italian positivist criminology
Physician and neuro-psychiatrist
He used scientific methodology to study criminals, primarily gathering physiological information and comparing it to non-criminal
What is Lombrosso’s work
irregular palates and jaws, teeth
Irregular hands, eyes and ears
Irregular of body head and face
Analysis of defective home conditions
- Lack of home control through ignorance, illness, father away too much, mother working, street life
Mental Conflict
- Gender, parents, the unknown
What is Lombrosso’s concept of atavism
Lombrosso believed an atavist was a throwback to primitive man
Contributed to his idea of the born criminal
Atavist was based on his studies and measurements of criminals in prison
Anthropology
Evidence from the new field of anthropology which produced reports on “primitive” people and their social structures
Not as advanced and civilized as europeands
Evidence primarily from reporting of untrained colonial administrations and missionaries who saw not differences but inferiority
What are some critiques of Lombrossos research?
His work attracted a large following was applied in criminal trials
It was flawed by:
- Measurements were often sloppy and
He assumed those in prison were criminals (while free people were not)
- Statistical techniques were crude
- Control groups were poorly chosen
The contribution of the positive school connection to Lombrosso
Lombrossos most lasting contribution was in relation to the criminal justice system
Classical theories said punishments should fit the crime. Lombrosso said punishments should fir the criminal (born criminal should be incarcerated to protect society)
Lombrosso and the postiive school
Different types of offenders had different stigmata for example robbers have small shifting quick moving eyes
Women had fewer stigmata than men and were closer to their primitive orgins however they were less criminal because of thier maternal instincts, piety and lack of passion
Offenders could be grouped into different categories
- These included eplieptics, the criminally insane, criminals of passion and criminloids
Post-Italian Biological work
Study of body types
Form and function considered to be related either as from follows function follows from
Tendency toward predominance of certain physcial types in certain classes of offenders
