Lecture notes - Advanced criminology (RGBUSTR011) - Utrecht University
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Course
Advanced criminology (RGBUSTR011)
Institution
Universiteit Utrecht (UU)
Book
Essential Criminology
This document provides comprehensive notes on Advanced Criminology, covering key topics such as Social Ecology, Cultural Theories, Strain Theories, Social Learning, Subcultural Theories, and Critical Criminology. It includes summaries from the textbook Essential Criminology by Lanier, M.M., Henry, ...
Lecture 2: Social Ecology & Cultural Theories (chapter 8)
Lecture 3: Strain Theories (chapter 9)
Lecture 4: Social Learning and Neutralisation Theories (chapter 6)
Lecture 5: Subcultural Theories (Chapter 9, pages 222-226 + articles)
- Hayward, K., Ilan, J. (2012). Deviant Subcultures, Routledge Handbook of Deviant
Behaviour, pp 233-239. (On BB)
- Williams, J. P. (2014). Subcultures and deviance. The death and resurrection of
deviance, pp 108-24. (On BB)
Lecture 6: Critical Criminology (chapter 12)
Book: Lanier, M.M., Henry, S., & Anastasia, D.J.M. (2015). Essential Criminology (4th ed.).
Routledge. (+ Extra articles as provided on Blackboard)
, Lecture 1: Introduction to Advanced Criminology (individual level)
We start with Lombroso, who believed physical appearance could indicate a tendency for crime.
This idea is no longer accepted.
- In the past, biology was misused in terrible ways, like sterilizing women and others seen as
"burdens" to society. This was part of eugenics, a harmful practice aimed at improving society
by preventing certain people from having children.
There is controversy about biopsychosocial perspective. We have 3 questions:
1. Is there a crime gene?
2. Can we predict who becomes a criminal?
3. What do we know about biopsychosocial factors and criminal behavior?
Could MAOA, known as the "warrior gene," be a crime gene? No, even Brunner, who studied it,
disagrees. Brunner syndrome, a rare genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the MAOA gene, is
linked to mild intellectual disability, impulsive behavior (like violence, arson (brandstichting), or
hyper-sexuality), mood swings, and sleep disorders. This raises the question: can people be born
bad? While genes in uence behavior, the brain, like the prefrontal cortex (planning), also plays a
role. However, most criminals act impulsively, making it complex. Why crime genes don’t exist:
1. Laws are dynamic and vary by time and culture (e.g., homosexuality).
2. Genes code for proteins, not behavior.
3. Genes always interact with the environment (e.g., smoking habits).
Behavior is in uenced by both nature (genetics) and nurture (environment). Both play a role,
roughly 50/50. An example is the amingo: their pink color is genetic, but it also depends on
eating shrimp. This shows that even genetic traits can be in uenced by the environment. There is
no "crime gene" because criminal behavior takes many forms (e.g., fraud, sexual violence,
organized crime). Age also plays a role: adolescents commit more crimes than adults.
Additionally, we need to consider who, where, and why: is it an isolated incident or a recurring
pattern? To explain behavior, we often combine di erent disciplines (explain stress with factors):
1. Biological factors (e.g., stress hormones like cortisol)
2. Psychological factors (e.g., personality traits)
3. Sociological factors (e.g., unemployment or housing issues).
Certain traits and behaviors can predict antisocial behavior, especially in childhood and
adolescence, but they do not explain why it happens = Heterogeneity of anti social behavior:
- Low anxiety and risk-taking behavior
- Anger, narcism and aggression
- Substance abuse (drugs and alcohol)
- Cruelty to people or animals
- Rebellion against authority
- Associating with delinquent peers
- Tolerance or positive attitude towards antisocial behavior
Crime is caused by: Crime before 1960 is linked to poverty, unemployment, and poor upbringing.
Sutherland emphasized the in uence of delinquent friends. By 1969, lack of social bonds was
seen as a major factor. In 1990, low self-control was identi ed as a key individual factor. 1993
marked a turning point in criminology.
Desistance in criminology explains how people stop engaging in criminal behavior over time.
According to Hirschi’s social control theory and life course psychology, childhood
experiences, social bonds, and life events (like marriage or stable jobs) play a crucial role. There
are two pathways in criminal behavior—biological, psychological, and sociological in uences.
Criminal behavior is a legal de nition, and desistance occurs through turning points in life.
Longitudinal studies have advanced our understanding of why some people stop committing
crimes.
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