Introduction to “Canadian Criminology”

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“when there is crime in society there is no justice” PlatoCriminology: Its nature and structure –

WHAT IS A…? Criminal Crime Deviant act Criminologist victim

Setting the stage… Has crime increased? Who commits the most crime? Does capital punishment work? What are the most serious crimes today? Can we control crime?

The crime-deviance continuum Figure 1-1 Define consensus vs. conflict crimes Examples of:

Social diversions Social deviations

Crime as relative and evolutive Importance of frame of reference

A call for Canadian Criminology Crime is universal… so! Differences that count

Minorities, law enforcement, sentencing, culture, politics, etc.

Significant theoretical and practical contributions

Review Canadian criminologists in Appendix 4 (also see Appendix 1)

“Father of Canadian Criminology” with author

The Changing Face of Crime and Criminology Brief history “criminology” and P. Topinard (1879) Initial interest punishment and treatment Secondary evolution of the study of

penology Reformers (C. Becarria & J. Bentham)

The subject matter of criminology has been “blurred by shifts of both meaning and focus” N. Walker ‘87 1920: Maurice Parmalee’s (sociologist)

contribution vs. E. Sutherland See Appendix 2 – variety of

criminology/criminal justice journals

The Criminological Enterprise Criminal statistics Sociology of law Theory construction Types of criminal behaviour Criminal justice system victimology

The Diversity of Criminology Sociology: social structure, social

process, to social organization (Ch.7) Psychology: science of individual

behaviour (Ch. 6) Biology: chemical, genetic, and/or

neurological influences (Ch. 5) Economics: “money the root of all evil”

Geography/Environment: crime rates a by-product of physical and environmental factors

Political science: the importance of social policy (contrast European and N.A. criminologists)

Integrated and Interdisciplinary approach “paradigm shift” from unidiscipline to

multi/interdisciplinary perspectives Calls for

Integration of social sciences Recognition of the complexity of human

behaviour Bridges specific and general aspects of

crime

“every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do” - Voltaire Criminology requires bridging theory

and policy Social and political challenges Policy in the absence of theory is ‘guess

work’ BUT… serious ethical issues

Punish or treat A crime or deviant act

Summary Crime is a global issue Canada has its own unique concerns Criminology burgeoning in Canada Discipline rapidly evolving in a

systematic and objective fashion Criminology an applied science that

resembles a living organism