Anthropology
the study of cultures and their development
Autoethnography
the study of one’s own culture through self-reflection
Code of Hammurabi
an ancient code based on punishment via physical retaliation
Common law
decisions made by judges through court cases
Content analysis
a method of describing and compiling the details of a particular
medium
Corporal punishment
physical punishment intended to cause pain
Crime
formal deviance; a violation of formal rules of society as expressed in the law
Criminal code
the written code that defines crimes and their punishments
Criminology
an academic discipline that studies the nature, extent, cause, and control
of criminal behavior
Customs
the typical patterns of behavior in a particular society and time period
Deviance
behavior that is perceived as violating cultural norms
Deviance admiration
a positive view of behavior that does not conform to social norms
Environmental crime
harm caused to the environment that is considered illegal
Ethonography
the study of a culture, often involving participant observation
Experiment
a method to test a hypothesis under controlled conditions
Felonies
serious crimes, or repeat offenses, that can result in significant punishment
Focus group
a group of individuals who are brought together to discuss their point of
view
Formal deviance
behavior that violates the formal rules of a society
Formal law
expectations for behavior based on the law
Genetics
the study of genes
Hypothesis
a testable statement used as a starting point to answer a research
question
Informal deviance
behavior that is perceived as violating the informal social norms of
a society
Informal norm
expectations for behavior based on cultural practices
Informed consent
permission given based on understanding the risks and benefits of
a study
Infractions
petty offenses that are against the law but do not result in jail time
Interdisciplinary
using more than one academic discipline or area of study
Interview
a discussion between a researcher and a subject
Juvenile delinquency
the committing of crime by a youth
Laws
the documented rules of a community, made by the government and enforced by an authority
Misdemeanors
crimes that have the potential to result in up to one year of jail time (in
most states)
Mosaic Code
the foundation of Judeo-Christian moral teachings and a basis for the
U.S. legal system
Neuroscience
the study of the human nervous system
Norms
cultural ideas about what behavior is acceptable and good
Participant observation
a method to gather information through watching human
activity
Penology
the study of the correction and control of criminal behavior
Precedent
a decision made by a judge that sets the rule for future cases.
Prohibition amendment
the 18th amendment prohibiting the production, transport and
sale of alcohol
Psychology
the study of the human mind and human behavior
Qualitative research
data that cannot be expressed through numbers
Quantitative research
data that can be expressed through numbers
Questionnaire
a series of written questions used to gather information; also described
as a survey
Research ethics
principles guiding how to undertake research appropriately and
professionally
Retribution
punishment that is a form of revenge equal to the severity of the original
wrongdoing
Slave codes
state laws that defined the status of slaves and the rights of slaveowners
Sociology
The study of society and human social interaction
Statutory law
laws created by legislators
The scientific method
a systematic approach to answer a research question
Victimology
the study of victims and their experience of crime
War crime
behavior during wartime that results in individual criminal charges