Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Lombroso and Atavistic Form - Coggle Diagram
Lombroso and Atavistic Form
Physiological Theories
biological explanations can be broken down into different causes of criminal behaviour
Physiological theories suggest that physical traits of people are likely to cause criminal behaviour
Correlations between people with certain psychical traits and criminal behaviour.
In 1876 Lombroso (who was a doctor from Italy) argued that criminals had facial features and bodily appearances that are different to people who aren't criminal.
Lombroso
Developed atavistic form theory after examining skulls of criminals and facial features of prisoners
Found common traits amongst those who had committed crime
Criminal features
Jaw and Jaw line larger
Eye socket were larger
Prominent eye brows
Higher cheek bones
Nose shape differed ( flatter noses in thieves and pointy nose in murderers)
EVALUATION
Strength: There were small links with more prisoners having different body features as he did research and went to prisons.
Limitation: Lack of reliability. Lombroso's work has not been proven by other scientists
Lombroso found that crime was caused by physiology which offered an explanation for criminal behaviour.
Ethnocentric view: Lombroso's work has been criticised for focusing on features that are not typical of western cultures and can be seen as a form of RACIAL PROFILING