1. ARE WE BORN DEVIANT???
L.O:
To know the biological explanation for C&D
To know the psychological explanation for C&D

4. CESARE LOMBROSO
• Lombroso was a
writer who attempted
to explain crime
scientifically as he
believed that there
was a biological
explanation as to why
people committed
crime.
• Positivist or
Interpretivist??
• L.O: To know the biological explanation for C&D

5. • There have been a range of researchers
who have drawn on other disciplines
such as psychology to explain criminal
behaviour.
• These approaches all have the view that
people who engage in criminal activity
are somewhat different from the rest
of us!
• L.O: To know the biological explanation for C&D

6. Genes?
Childhood experiences?
• L.O: To know the biological explanation for C&D

7. This is against the views of
sociologists as we believe that crime
and deviance is socially constructed.
In order to define whether
something is criminal or deviant
depends on the meanings and
interpretations of behaviour. Even
crime statistics are socially
constructed, determined by decisions
based on interpretations which can
change over time and place.

8. As sociologists what kind of
things do you think we look at to
explain crime?

9. What makes a criminal?
• Social class?
• Age?
• Gender?
• Ethnicity?
• Culture?
• Subculture?

10. • Lombroso's theory
suggested that criminals
are distinguished from
non-criminals by multiple
physical anomalies. He
believed that criminals
represented a primitive
or subhuman type of man
characterized by
physical features
reminiscent of apes,
lower primates, and the
early man. He referred
to these as
"throwbacks".
• L.O: To know the biological explanation for C&D

11. • Lombroso based his study on
the inmates of Italian
prisons.
• He found that the biological
characteristics of the
criminals were signs of their
inborn criminal nature. They
had ‘enormous jaws, high
cheek bones, low sloping
forehead, hawk-like noses
and fleshy lips.’
• L.O: To know the biological explanation for C&D

12. • L.O: To know the biological explanation for C&D

13. CRITISISMS OF LOMBROSO
• The physical characteristics and ill health he
identifies, may simply reflect the fact that the
inmates were drawn from the poorest sections
of Italian society. Therefore factors such as
their height, stunted growth, etc., rather than
being the causes of their criminality, may just
be the result of their poverty.
• Lombroso neglects the role of social factors -
both as possible causes of crime and deviance,
and also in the wider sense that he does not
consider that crime and deviance themselves
are socially constructed.
• L.O: To know the biological explanation for C&D

14. MORE CRITISISMS...
• Lombroso’s sample was unrepresentative. The
sample may have been representative of all
those in prison, but it would not necessarily
have been representative of all criminals –
presumably many criminals activities went
undetected.
• Therefore, a sociological approach would argue
(think back to discussion of definitions and
social construction) that trying to base a
theory of criminality only on the
characteristics of the prison population is not a
methodologically sound way to proceed
• L.O: To know the biological explanation for C&D

16. HANS EYSENK (1970)
• Crime & Personality
• Criminality is the result of
genetics so individuals are
more likely to become
criminals depending on the
type of personality they are.
• Extrovert to Introvert
• Questionnaire
• Young men who repeatedly
offended had large
extraversion scores.
• L.O: To know the PSYCHOLOGICAL explanation for C&D

17. Eysenk’s personalities
Psychoticism Extraversion Neuroticism
Aggressive Sociable Anxious
Assertive Irresponsible Depressed
Egocentric Dominant Guilt Feelings
Unsympathetic Lack of reflection Low self-esteem
Manipulative Sensation-seeking Tense
Achievement-
Impulsive Moody
oriented
Dogmatic Risk-taking Hypochondriac
Masculine Expressive Lack of autonomy
Tough-minded Active Obsessive

19. 1. Is Eysenk a Positivist or
Interpretivist???
2. What are the similarities and
differences between Lombroso’s and
Eysenk’s explanations for criminal
behaviour?
3. Why would sociologists be critical of
both the psychological and the
biological approaches to crime?

20. CRITISISMS
• Eysenk claimed that extroverts crave excitement,
takes chances, are generally impulsive and has to
keep moving This is very similar to modern day
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
• Walton & Young (1973)
• Esyenk sample were all prisoners. Are all prisoners
criminals?
• Is this a measure of the effects imprisonment has
on a persons personality...rather than what led to
their imprisonment?
• Does this mean introverts cannot cause crime?
• Stereotypes of what criminals are supposedly like
could be a contributor to what is considered an
extrovert.
• L.O: To know the PSYCHOLOGICAL explanation for C&D