CRIM 101 INTRO TO CRIM FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ACCURATE ANSWERS 2024-2025
Major themes of Classical school (4): - Answer - Most humans are rational and most
behaviour is the result of free choice
- However, our agency (free will) is determined by the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance
of pain
- Punishment, a necessary evil, is sometimes required to deter law violators and to serve
as an example to potential offenders
- Certain individual rights are inalienable, and governments that contravene those rights
should be disbanded.
- Forming societies provide benefits over living in isolation, but we also forfeit some of
the benefits accrued from living in isolation
- Crime disrupts the organization of civic societies
- Before we discuss the evolution of formal law, let's discuss formal law
What broad categories did William Graham Sumner come up with? - Answer Norms and
Folkways
Were divisionary in what is fundamentally a symbiotic world. What does that mean? -
Answer We're all in it for ourselves, even though we're all in it together. Are very
diversionary in our thinking.
What types of divisions do we make? Peacemaking Criminology - Answer Status,
patriotic, religion, racial, gendered and economic lines are but some of the innumerable
ways in which we "draw the line" to label certain groups as
better/deserving/sexier/smarter and other groups as worse/uglier/ignorant/unworthy,
etc. This "labelling" legitimises all sorts of awful behavior like war, racism, misogyny,
hate, favoritism, etc.
Criminology is no exception to this us versus them mentality-i.e., sometime termed
________. - Answer Othering.
,- Theories account for how some people/behaviours are anomalous or different.
- Ultimately theories place people in categories that legitimize intervention, punishment,
or other horrid sanctions.
What do Pepinksy and Quinney think criminologist must do? And what is an example of
peacemaking criminology in action. - Answer 1) Think criminologists must do much less
division thinking/theorizing.
2) Restorative justice is a great example.
What does Ezzat Fattah argue about restorative justice? Why? - Answer Argues that the
CJS is ineffective in deterring or preventing crime.
Because trial and punishment has little positive effect on those being punished, nor on
those that are victimized. Though public and victim may feel some
vindication/satisfaction in punishing, this really does little to fix the underlying problems,
assist in healing process for all involved, and to deter the offender in many cases.
What is the primary purpose of Restorative Justice? -Answer Healing of victim,
community and offender.
The concept is to bring about a more caring society and more caring people. It is also
about the victim and the offender healing their wounds. It would be achieved through
conferences that would put the parties involved together to discuss meaningfully,
focusing on healing, fixing, helping.
The offender needs to accept responsibility before a conference can be accepted. RJ
isn't about deciding guilt; that is what courts do pretty well.
What are some principles of restorative justice? - Answer 1 - RJ requires more than
impersonal punishment.
Communities and victims can still vent their anger, disapproval and disappointment:
"This is what makes us angry" Then we teach he offender morals, deal with the
problems in the community, and reintegrate offender back into a repaired community
,that is able to properly socialize its youth.
2 - We are all socially responsible
It is our responsibility to make sure communities can raise healthy and well-adjusted
youth, that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. It is obviously not happening
in too many communities, yet we are all responsible to prevent crime in our
communities.
3 - Healing trauma -
Trauma experienced by many offenders leads them to inflict trauma on others. Most end
the cycle of trauma.
What do most conflict theories say that we should do in the end? - Answer - At most - a
Marxist revolution to redistribute the power/wealth in society-reduce the
competition/conflict, and thus the crime rates will drop
- Heal our stratified and divided society.
Most conflict criminologists have come to realize this extreme is highly unlikely, and
suggest some middle range policy alternatives to increase equity like: - Answer - Equal
legal representation for all (regardless of cash flow)
- Prosecution of corporate and environmental crimes as well as street level crimes
Greater legitimate opportunities for the non-owner of the means of production or a team
of business experts
Encourage social responsibility and equal access to educational and other social
institutions
Be wary of divisive ideas which set us against each other
Manage capitalism in ways to avoid its many pitfalls.
What does C. Wright Mills suggest "Setting the Stage" - Answer We often blame the
individual for his/her problems, when certain societal configurations are more likely the
culprit.
, Sociologists expose structural functions and dysfunctions.
What assumptions are social structure theories built upon? - Answer Social and
economic conditions like poverty, alienation from dominate groups, social
disorganization, pressure, deprivation, and limited opportunities giver rise to crime and
criminal subcultures.
Ultimately, crime is a product of the individuals place within the structure of the society.
Some configurations of the society generate more crimes than others.
What are associated with social ecology theories? - Answer - The Chicago school and
social disorganization
- Environmental criminology and broken windows
What is associated with strain and anomie theories? - Answer - Strain theory
- General strain theory
What are associated with cultural and sub-cultural conflict theories? - Answer - Cultural
conflict theory
- Lower class subculture
- Differential opportunity theory
What is studied in the field of natural ecology? - Answer Ecosystems, but more
specifically, the relationship between environment and organisms. This involves
biodiversity.
What is studied by an (urban) ecologist? - Answer The structure and function of a
community and the resultant interactions that occur within that community.
The idea of _____________________ that determines the quality of life for it's members was