Criminology the Jukes the Purpose

Criminology

The Jukes

The purpose of the study of the Jukes family is to describe the inherited nature of criminal behavior and to determine whether the familial nature of criminality is due to heredity or environment, which Dugdale does by investigating several factors, including: the housing habitat of the Jukes and similar families, the genetic background of the Jukes, criminal behavior, harlotry, legitimacy and illegitimacy, and pauperism.

How does the interplay between heredity and environment impact the relationship between criminality and pauperism, and does heredity impose limitations upon the improvement of the criminal character?

To investigate the question, Dugdale investigated several factors in the lives of members of a notoriously criminal family, including: crime, pauperism, prostitution, exhaustion, disease, illegitimacy, intemperance, extinction, consanguity, and fornication,

Concept: In order to understand Dugdale's reasoning, one must understand what type of behavior constitutes criminal behavior, which Dugdale explains in his study.

Inferences: The data establishes that some aspects of criminal behavior can be transmitted from generation to generation, but does not establish whether the means of transmission are genetic or environmental.

Assumptions: Dugdale takes for granted that women cannot be engaged in criminal behavior, that men cannot be engaged in harlotry, and that the better members of the family would have left the country.

Implications: If one were to accept Dugdale's reasoning, one would assume that criminal behavior was genetic, which might dampen those social reform efforts aimed at reducing and/or eliminating criminal behavior.

Point-of-View: The author seems to link poverty with criminal behavior in a manner that suggests that a character flaw is responsible for both conditions.

Chapter 21: Feeblemindedness

Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to describe whether "feebleminded" individuals have the capacity to be held responsible for criminal behavior, and to investigate how to prevent criminal behavior by the feebleminded.

Question: Does the criminal type of personality result from the hereditary transmission of feeblemindedness, rather than the transmission of actual criminality, and can one prevent the feebleminded from becoming criminals?

Information: To investigate the question, Goddard investigated the factors contributing to criminal behavior in the feebleminded, including: heredity of feeblemindedness, cause of the feeblemindedness, and criminality.

Concept: In order to understand Goddard's reasoning, one must understand the nature of feeblemindedness.

Inferences: The data establishes that the combination of feebleminded individuals with poor environments is likely to result in criminality.

Assumptions: Goddard assumes that morality and feeblemindedness are negatively correlated, without providing any data to support that assumption.

Implications: If one were to accept Goddard's reasoning, one would assume that criminal behavior was genetic and linked to intelligence, which could have positive consequences, such as focusing prevention efforts on the most at-risk individuals.

Point-of-View: The author seems to believe that feeblemindedness contributes to criminality in a manner that goes beyond the fact that the feebleminded may be forced to resort to criminal behavior in order to survive.

Chapter 23: The American Criminal

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to determine whether or not a criminal's physical characteristics are relevant to his crimes.

Question: Are criminals physically different from non-criminals of the same ethnic origin?

Information: To investigate the question, Hooton looked at the physical characteristics of criminals and non-criminals, including: body weight, stature, cranial measurements, chest depth, chest breadth, nose height, ear length, and facial characteristics.

Concept: In order to understand Hooton's research, one must understand the non-subjective criteria and forms of measurement of his physical data.