Comparing The Four Definitional Perspectives In Contemporary Criminology
What are the four definitional perspectives in contemporary criminology?
The four definitional perspectives in criminology are the legalistic view, the political view, the sociological view, and the psychological view. Each of these differ in a myriad of ways, though the biggest being the main focus of criminology--the definition of crime. In the view of the legalistic perspective, law dictates what is crime and what is not. If there is no law against it, no matter how socially unacceptable an act may be, an act cannot be considered a crime. Crime can be determined by local, state, or federal governments, according to the legalistic perspective. On the other hand, the political view believes that powerful individuals or groups create laws
The four definitional perspectives in criminology are the legalistic view, the political view, the sociological view, and the psychological view. Each of these differ in a myriad of ways, though the biggest being the main focus of criminology--the definition of crime. In the view of the legalistic perspective, law dictates what is crime and what is not. If there is no law against it, no matter how socially unacceptable an act may be, an act cannot be considered a crime. Crime can be determined by local, state, or federal governments, according to the legalistic perspective. On the other hand, the political view believes that powerful individuals or groups create laws