Eugenics
What are eugenics?
a set of beliefs that privileges certain traits (white skin, blue eyes) as superior and others as 'inferior' (i.e. dark skin, black eyes)
True or False: Moral panics tend to over-exaggerate statistics
True
What are the two branches of criminological positivism?
sick bodies and sick minds
What is the demonic tradition in criminology?
A pre-18th-century criminological view holding that crime results from supernatural possession, temptation, or evil forces
True or False: U of M was one of the many schools that participated in the sterilization of women
True
When was the term coined and by whom?
'Eugenics' was coined in 1883 by Francis Galton
What is a moral panic?
A period of marked or widespread social concern about a phenomenon:
- a person
- a practice (e.g. sexual activity)
- ideology (e.g ANTIFA, white Nationalism)
What were the biotype theories grounded in?
these theories were grounded in the ideology that key personality components are inherited, influenced by our genes.
What is determinism?
Determinism is the belief that criminal behavior is caused by internal or external factors—biological, psychological, or social—rather than free will
Which court case allowed for the sterilization of the 'unfit'?
Buck V. Bell 1927
Name 2 impacts of the eugenics movement
1) 60,000-70,000 people who were deemed 'unfit' to reproduce were sterilized against their consent
2) Eugenicist framework is still very much prevalent in science /medical field
Name 3 consequences of a moral panic?
1) a particular group is targeted and hurt
2) the panic distracts from other things
3) Leaves a residue of ideology & imagery
4) Laws/policies have implications for all
Who coined the term 'Superpredator' in 1996?
Hillary Clinton
What is Macro level theory?
Macro level theory looks at social structures; how society at large is organized
Who initiated the war on drugs and when did this happen?
Richard Nixon in 1982
Who were the victims of sterilization (generally speaking)?
What is the typical structure of a drug scare?
Substance + Dangerous class + conflict > law
Who is considered the founder of Positivist Criminology?
Cesare Lombroso (1835–1909) pioneered this school
What is micro level theory?
Micro level theory looks at things at the individual and social psychological level
What are 3 of the continuing legacies of slavery that were pointed out by The New Jim Crow?
1) Poverty
2) Segregation
3) Unequal education system
How did Lombroso's work contribute to the eugenicist body of literature?
- he wrote extensively trying to argue for a linkage between criminality and 'racial inferiority'
Name 3 examples of moral panics
1) 1980s AIDS scare
2) Drug scare
3) post 9-11
Name 4 fields of study that adopted positivist science at some point?
1) Sociology
2) Biology
3) Psychology
4) Medicine
5) Law
What is the classical school of criminology?
The classical school of criminology assumes that individuals have free will and that crime can be prevented through proportionate punishment focusing on the act rather than the actor
What was the impact of the war on drugs?
Alot of Black and Brown men were incarcerated for low level drug cases