Criminology: The Multidisciplinary Study Of Crime
Criminology can be defined as the multidisciplinary study of crime (Bartol, 1999, p. 3). As the definition suggests, many disciplines are involved in the collection of knowledge about crime, including psychology, sociology, psychiatry, anthropology, biology, neurology, political science and economics (Bartol, 1999 p. 4). Over the years criminology has been dominated by three disciplines - sociology, psychology and biology. Criminology needs all the help it can get in its struggle to understand, explain and prevent criminal behaviour and an integration of the data, theory and general viewpoints of each discipline is crucial (Bartol, 1999 pg. 4).
While interest in crime has always been high, understanding of why it occurs and what to do about …show more content…
A theory attempts to make sense out of many disparate observations (or facts) by stating a general principal that connects, integrates and explains them. A good theory is extremely valuable in that it extends our knowledge beyond the facts in front of us (the raw data), enabling us to predict how others might behave at another time and in another place (Bourne and Russo, 1998 p. 33). Criminological theories based on biology, psychology were both, at one stage dominant in the field, however the vast majority of current criminological text employs sociological theory and research. Biological and psychological explanations will be examined in the following essay, however there will be a focus on sociological …show more content…
235). According to Herbert Blumer, symbolic interactionism rests on three premises - the first being that human beings act towards things on the basis of the meanings that the things have for them. The second premise is that the meaning of such things is derived from, or arises out of, the social interaction that one has with one 's fellows. The third premise is that these meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretive process used by the person in dealing with the things he or she encounters (Blumer 1969 cited in Hester and Egline, 1992
While interest in crime has always been high, understanding of why it occurs and what to do about …show more content…
A theory attempts to make sense out of many disparate observations (or facts) by stating a general principal that connects, integrates and explains them. A good theory is extremely valuable in that it extends our knowledge beyond the facts in front of us (the raw data), enabling us to predict how others might behave at another time and in another place (Bourne and Russo, 1998 p. 33). Criminological theories based on biology, psychology were both, at one stage dominant in the field, however the vast majority of current criminological text employs sociological theory and research. Biological and psychological explanations will be examined in the following essay, however there will be a focus on sociological …show more content…
235). According to Herbert Blumer, symbolic interactionism rests on three premises - the first being that human beings act towards things on the basis of the meanings that the things have for them. The second premise is that the meaning of such things is derived from, or arises out of, the social interaction that one has with one 's fellows. The third premise is that these meanings are handled in, and modified through, an interpretive process used by the person in dealing with the things he or she encounters (Blumer 1969 cited in Hester and Egline, 1992