Topic Activities

1. Learn the following words:

juvenile delinquency	преступность несовершеннолетних
to embrace	охватывать
viewpoint	точка зрения
diverse	разнообразный, различный
imperative	обязательный
to deal with	иметь дело с, заниматься
approach	подход
rigid	жесткий
at the disposal	в распоряжении
to shoulder	брать на себя
discovery	открытие
entirely	полностью
to insist	настаивать
capital punishment	смертная казнь
sufficient	достаточный
all-round consideration	всестороннее рассмотрение
to express opinion	выражать мнение
to devote much attention to	посвящать (уделять) много внимания чему-либо

2. Guess the meaning of the international words:

aspect, penology, correction, prevention, ethics, anthropology, biology, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, statistics, traditional, to focus, individual, conservative, practical, discipline, humane, administrator, revolutionary, system, criminological, accumulate, method, reformatory, criminologist, moral, opponent, activist, argument, political, social, religious, victimology.

3. Read the text and answer the following questions:

1. What does criminology study as a science?

2. Is criminology a theoretical or practical science?

3. Is criminology or criminal law more conservative?

4. What is the practical value of criminological research?

5. What are some criminologist demanding that scientists do?

6. What do their opponents contend?

7. What is your personal opinion about it?

Criminology

Criminology is the scientific study of the non-legal aspects of crime (including juvenile delinquency). In its wider sense, embracing penology, it is thus the study of the causation, correction, and prevention of crime ‑ seen from the viewpoints of such diverse disciplines as ethics, anthropology, biology, psychology and psychiatry, sociology, and statistics. Whereas the traditional legal approach to crime focuses on the action of crime and the protection of society, criminology focuses on the person of the criminal and the essential interests of the individuals of whom society consists. Whereas criminal law has been a relatively conservative force, often slow to change even where change has seemed imperative, criminology as a part of the developing social sciences of the past hundred years has been a revolutionary force ‑ its object being not to replace the legal system in dealing with crime and punishment but to supplement it, making it less rigid and more sympathetic to approaches wider than strictly legal ones.

Without denying the value of "pure research," one must point to criminology and particularly penology as primarily practical subjects or “applied” disciplines. This practical value of criminological research can make itself felt in several ways. Its accumulated findings can give judges, prosecutors, lawyers, probation officers, and prison officials better understanding of crime and criminals, leading to more effective and humane sentencing and methods of treatment. Criminological research and knowledge can be equally at the disposal of legislators and administrators to assist in their task of reforming the law and improving penal and reformatory institutions. Essentially this use of information represents a neutral role for criminologists; and the various governmental officials decide for themselves what kind of practical conclusions to draw from the facts. Increasingly, however, some criminologists are demanding that scientists fully shoulder the moral and political responsibilities for their discoveries and for the use made of them instead of leaving vital decisions entirely to their governments. Thus some criminologists, for instance, insist upon actively campaigning against capital punishment. Opponents of this activist role, on the other hand, contend that penological arguments are not sufficient but must be weighed along with political, social, religious, and moral arguments and that this all-round consideration should be left to responsible political bodies. The view does not deny the right of criminologists to express their opinions as ordinary citizens and voters.

Another question involving the scope and functions of criminology is whether or not it should extend to the study of crime detection, involving such measures as photography, toxicology, fingerprint study, and the like. In several countries this so-called criminalistics has long been an important branch of criminological teaching and research. In recent decades criminology has extended its territory by devoting much attention to so-called victimology ‑ the study of the victim of crime, his relations to the criminal, and his role as a potential causal factor in crime.

4. Match the following English and Russian equivalents:

1) vital decision	a) гуманное вынесение приговора
2) ordinary citizens	b) исправительные учреждения
3) political body	c) политический орган
4) scientific study	d) правительственные чиновники
5) relatively conservative	e) смертная казнь
6) reformatory institutions	f) относительно консервативный
7) humane sentencing	g) простые граждане
8) governmental officials	h) актуальное (жизненно важное) решение
9) capital punishment	i) научное исследование

5. Translate the sentences paying attention to the underlined words and phrases:

1. The objective of punishment was seen as being primarily retribution, with deterrence occupying second place, and reformation lagging far behind.

2. Today, nevertheless, the feeling is widespread that the battle of ideas fought by the classical and positivist schools has not yet produced the secure foundations on which the criminology and the penal systems of the future can be built.

3. This school disapproves of any rigid typology of criminals and stresses the uniqueness of human personality, Cesare Lombroso (1836-1909), professor of psychiatry and anthropology at the University of Turin, sought through firsthand observation and measurement of prison inmates to determine the characteristics of criminal types.

4. By the second half of the 19th century these deficiencies, together with the influential teachings of the French sociologist Auguste Comte, had prepared the ground for the positivist school, which sought to bring a scientific neutrality into criminological studies.

6. Translate the following words and phrases into English:

в последние недели; должна ли криминология изучать; такие меры как; отношение к; должно быть взвешено; в более широком смысле; с точки зрения; сосредотачиваться на самом преступнике; дом находится в Вашем распоряжении; лучшее понимание про­блемы.

SPEAKING

Discussion:

15 What branches of law constitute the subject of Criminology? Do you find this area of knowledge crucial?

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14