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GOTTFREDSON AND HIRSCHI

  1. In chapter 1, in what ways does the argument advanced get us "beyond" the split between criminologists in the classical vs. positivist position? (e.e., what is their "modern version of the classical conception of crime"?) What problems do they see in each type?
  2. What does it mean to say that in the "classical" view crime is "naturally" restrained?
  3. What do you think about their idea that the "sanctioning system" is irrelevant to causal mechanisms?
  4. What do they mean when they say crime is not a "distinct type of behavior"?
  5. What is their conception of crime (Chapter 2)?
  6. On what basis do they make their interchangeability argument, and what is your response to this? How do you respond to their thoughts about specialization?
  7. Chapter 3: What is/are the main point/s in their critique of contemporary biological positivism?
  8. Chapter 4: Why is the concept of aggression not helpful?
  9. Do YOU think offenders differ from nonoffenders?
  10. What problems do the authors have with thinking of crime as "work?"
  11. How do they characterize cultural deviance theories? What subtypes do they see? What criticisms do they make of these theories?
  12. Chapter 5: Why are control theories classical theories?
  13. What are the authors' views of human nature?
  14. What is their definition of low self control, its elements, and its manifestations? Is it a personality trait?
  15. What are some of the key "facts" about offending their idea of self control explains?
  16. How does this idea help "organize" different areas of work
  17. p. 107, last para, first sentence: your reactions to this?
  18. Chapter 6: What is the age effect? What is their view on it?
  19. What other individual differences in offending does their view explain?
  20. Chapter 7: What do authors see as connection between peer group and offending? Can their theory accommodate findings about offending in groups?
  21. How are school-offending links explained? Employment-offending?
  22. In general, the authors rely heavily on the self selection artifact in this chapter (see espec. 167). Reactions?
  23. Chapter 8: can you see how this illustrates Gould's w/i vs. between fallacy argument?
  24. Chapter 9: does white collar crime need a separate theory? Why or why not?
  25. How are the cultural theories "off" in predicting white collar crime?
  26. Chapter 10: what do they think about the gangs/crime connection?