What are the Humanities?
A way of trying to get at things that social sciences can’t, relevant to human life
The humanities help us understand the experience of being human by asking big questions.
What is the self-limiting nature of Social Science?
Not actually about people, about things that relate to people
This limitation affects how we understand human experiences.
Define Criminology.
Deviance-as-People
Focuses on the behavior we relate to people.
Define Sociology.
Society-as-People
Examines social structures and relationships.
Define Psychology.
Brain-as-People
Studies mental processes and behavior.
Define Economics.
Money-as-People
Represents people, not emotions.
Define Political Science.
State-as-People
Analyzes governance and political behavior.
What gives us a false sense of certainty?
- Statistics/numbers
- Empirical measures
- Theories
- Categorization
- Borders/boundaries
These elements can mislead our understanding of reality.
What are some mediums that portray emotions better than statistics?
- Paintings
- Poems
- Photographs
These mediums can evoke emotions more effectively than numerical data.
What is the significance of the phrase ‘1 death is a tragedy, 1 million deaths is a statistic’?
Highlights the emotional disconnect in understanding large-scale tragedies
Emphasizes the limitations of statistical representation.
What does the humanities help us articulate?
What we think is true and good, and why
Trains our mental capabilities in interpretation and explanation.
What is Positivist Criminology?
Belief in harmony between natural and social sciences, requiring empirical inquiry
It suggests that human behavior can be studied like natural phenomena.
What is Scientism?
An unreasonable faith in the power of science and the scientific method
This belief can lead to dismissing non-empirical knowledge.
What is the age-crime curve?
A replicable finding in criminology
It shows the relationship between age and crime rates.
What is the replication crisis in social sciences?
A crisis of reproducibility in scientific studies
Many studies cannot be replicated, raising questions about their validity.
What is Eugenics?
Scientific racism based on selective breeding and forced sterilization
This ideology emerged in the late 19th to early 20th centuries.
What does Social Constructionism imply?
All theories of criminology emerge from specific times, places, and eras
It emphasizes the contextual nature of knowledge.
What are some obsolete notions in medicine?
- Levels of stupidity (idiot to moron)
- Hysteria
- Neurasthenia
- Drapetomania
- Moral Insanity
These terms reflect outdated and harmful medical understandings.
What is the Born Criminal theory?
A late 19th and early 20th-century concept labeling certain individuals as inherently criminal
This theory led to the creation of institutions to control ‘defective delinquents.’
What is the Hare Psychopathy Checklist?
A tool assessing psychopathic traits
It highlights that many traits are common and not exclusive to psychopaths.
What is the Criminal Investigative Failures concept?
Analyzing keywords for causal factors in wrongful convictions
It shows how assumptions can lead to incorrect conclusions.
