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Sociology and Criminology

Criminology refers to the study of criminal behavior of man.

Scientific study of law creaking and serious attempts to uncover the causes of criminality have usually

taken place within an area of study called criminology, which is concerned with the objective analysis

of crime as a social phenomenon. Criminology includes within its scope inquiry into the process of

making laws, breaking laws, and reacting to the breaking of laws.

Criminology embraces the studies of:

1. The nature, forms and incidence of criminal acts;2. The physical and psychological characteristics, histories and social origins of criminals;3. The characteristics of victims of crime;4. Non-criminal and anti-social behaviour that are regarded as criminal in some societies and not in

others;

5. The procedures of the police and of the criminal courts including the social influences upon thedecisions of the judge;

6. Methods of punishing, training and treating offenders;7. The social structure and organisation of penal organisations;8. Methods of preventing and controlling crime.

Criminology has its roots in Sociology

Criminology has its roots in the disciples of sociology, psychology, law etc. Criminologists have drawn

upon varied contributions of these established sciences in order to pose economic, political, legal,

sociological, and psychological and other kinds of questions about crime and responses to it.

Criminology borrows heavily from the work of sociologists. Because a good deal of theoretical research

work has been done on causes of criminality and the organisation of criminal justices agencies. Further,

the sociologists have had much to say about rehabilitation efforts and treatment programmes.

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The Sociology of Criminality

Criminal behaviour is similar to any other social behaviour in the sense it springs from the same social

set up or environment. No individual is born as a criminal, but he may become one because of the

provocative social set up. Still, all those who live in such a kind of set up never invariably turn out to be

criminals. Hence the discovery of the causes of crime including juvenile delinquency has been the

principal task of criminologist-sociologist. His major aim is to develop a body of generalizations or

propositions accounting for criminality. The field of sociology of criminality has become quite interesting

and challenging in the wake of modern civilization.

Sociology and Criminology are mutually supportive

Criminology, which can be called a branch of sociology, concentrates on only a part of the social life of

man, that is, the criminal life. A criminologist is basically a sociologist. He looks at criminal behaviour

mainly from the social point of view. He makes use of sociological concepts and techniques in his

inquiry. Criminological studies have influenced the sociological view towards crime, criminal and

rehabilitation of criminals. Criminological studies have convincingly proved the sociological view that

criminality is basically a social product. Crime, the subject matter of criminology, is after all, a social

phenomenon. As Durkhiem stated, we do not disapprove of an action because it is a crime, but it is a

crime because society disapproves it.