UNIT ONE: Criminology Text Questions

Please complete the following questions. It is important that you use full sentences and
present the questions and answers when you submit your work. Submit the work as a file
attachment. This means you complete all work in a word processing document (e.g.,
Microsoft Word) and attach the file using the dropbox tool. Use the Unit 1: Text Questions
dropbox basket.

The answers to the Review & Critical Thinking questions are worth 10 points.

Review Questions

1. What is crime?

Crime is when someone breaks a formal law.

2. What are three different types of norms? Given an example of each.

The first type of norm is a folkway. This is an everyday custom or way of doing
things, like shaking people’s hand when you meet them. The second type of norm
is a more. This is a norm with an underlying shared assumption of approval or
disapproval, like it being frowned upon to cheat on one’s spouse. The third type of
norm is a law. This is a formal norm, like wearing a seatbelt or not killing people.

3. What are surveys used for in criminology? What type of information do they
collect?

They are often used to find people’s opinions on an issue in crime, like the death
penalty. They’re also used to get “self-report” data from people. They collect more
information than other types of data collection because they are mostly
anonymous, so people can answer truthfully without fear of getting prosecuted.

4. What is actus reus?

Actus reus is the act a person is accused of.

5. How are crime and deviance related? Do they represent the same actions?

Crime and deviance have some overlap, but they are not the same. Speeding and
underage drinking are examples of crime but not deviance. Cheating on one’s
spouse is an example of crime but not deviance. Murder, burglary, and most other
violent theft is both crime and deviance.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Emile Durkheim argues that deviance is beneficial to society in a number of ways,

such as showing us where the boundaries of acceptable behavior are and that it
 can bring a group together. Do you agree or disagree with his argument that
deviance can be beneficial? Why?

I agree with his argument to a certain point. I don’t believe we need to have killed
someone to know that killing people is wrong, but I think deviance is good in some
situations because it can show issues in society and can help make more detailed
rules and laws.

2. If you were going to study some aspect of crime, what research method would you
use? Why would you use this method? What advantages would this method give
you as you studied your topic?

If I were to study the reason why criminals committed crimes, I would use a
combination of surveys, interviews, and existing data. I want to see the difference
between prisoners’ reasons for committing crimes and people who have committed
crimes but have not gone to jail, and I also want to see how people’s socio-
economic standing affects their reasons behind committing crimes, specifically
between those who come from an upper-class background vs. those who live in
poverty. If I were to use experiments, it would be unethical.

3. Why do you think that we should study crime and criminals? What information
might we gain by doing so?

If we study crime and criminals, we can improve society by preventing crime. We

can learn what causes people to commit crimes and then fix the issues.

4. Why do you think defining crime is so difficult? Give an example of a situation in

which a “crime” might not be considered a crime?

Crimes are different in different parts of the world, and laws are changing often.
Also, some things that are crimes are not necessarily deviant, so we don’t think of
them as crimes, like speeding or underage drinking.

5. Criminology combines the theories and insights of a number of different disciplines

as well as adding its own insight about crime and criminals. Do you think this
interdisciplinary approach is positive or negative for understanding crime? What
benefits or disadvantages might it have for the field? What other discipline do you
think has the most to offer for the understanding of crime and criminals?

I think it has a positive effect on our understanding of crime. The more knowledge
about the world around the better we can draw conclusions and do something to
better the world because of them. I believe crime is a combination of people’s
relationships with each other and their relationships with society, so sociology
probably offers the most for the understanding of crime and criminals.

Discussion Questions
Please post questions and answers on the UNIT ONE discussion boards. Unless
otherwise instructed, you should submit at least one full paragraph for each question.
Each discussion assignment is worth 5 points.