SOC 109 Class Notes | University of Toronto

What is Criminology?
●​ No single theory/method​

●​ Defined by crime (subject), not discipline​

●​ Studies:​

○​ Crime​

○​ Criminalisation​

○​ Social response to crime​

●​ ≠ policing / forensics​


https://www.manhuagui.com/rank/



Nature of the Field​

●​ Multidisciplinary:​

○​ Sociology​

○​ Psychology​

○​ Law​

○​ Economics​

●​ United by crime, divided by theory​

●​ Disagreement = normal​




Why Crime is Problematic
●​ Crime ≠ natural​

, ●​ Varies by:​

○​ Time​

○​ Place​

●​ Law is socially constructed​

●​ Reflects:​

○​ Power​

○​ Values​

○​ Politics​




Limits of Legal Definition
●​ Focus only on:​

○​ Detected offenders​

●​ Ignores:​

○​ Corporate harm​

○​ State harm​

●​ Law changes (criminalisation / decriminalisation)​




Crime vs Harm
●​ Crime needs legal recognition​

●​ Harm can exist without crime​

●​ Leads to critique of legalism​

, Definitions of Crime (6)
●​ Legal = law-breaking​

●​ Moral = collective conscience​

●​ Social = norm violation​

●​ Humanistic = human rights abuse​

●​ Constructionist = power-defined​

●​ Harm-based = harm caused​




What Criminologists Study
●​ Measurement of crime​

●​ Causes​

●​ Law-making & enforcement​

●​ Punishment​

●​ Prevention​

●​ Victims​

●​ Media & public attitudes​




Core Logic (Use in Essays)
●​ Crime is constructed, not given​

●​ Criminology is contested & political​

●​ Power shapes:​

○​ What counts as crime​