Durkheim's and Merton's Sociological Positivism in Explaining the Essay

Durkheims and Mertons sociological Positivism in Explaining the Criminal Behavior - Essay ExampleSo there ar biological positiveness, mental positivism, and sociological positivism in criminology depending of the field of knowledge that is taken as reference.Sociological positivism in criminology makes a strong emphasis in the take aim of crime and criminal behaviour as a social phenomenon that is explained through the critical analysis of social structures, functions, and agents.Since criminology is an interdisciplinary science, sociological positivism as well as takes into flier biological and psychological data when undertaking the study of crime and criminal behaviour. The study of departure or abnormality in society belongs to the field of criminology, too. Sociological positivism attempts to explain crime and deviance from different angles trying to find valid and reliable theories that can help in its prevention and deterrence.Sociological positivism emerged as a scient ific effort to fill the gap of other criminological studies based on biological and psychological perspectives, which were mostly centred on the individual. It also emerged in opposition of the Classical School of Criminology that was grounded on the standpoints of classical Greek philosophers, especially stressing the importance of free will (OConnor, 2006). It was also based on useful/hedonistic premises and the concept of social contract to whcih Durkheim was opposed (Hopkins Burke, 200591). Positivistic criminology takes a different position, and its main features are the followingThe demand for facts, for scientific certainty (determinism). There are body and mind differences between people (of these, the mens rea, or reasons for committing crime are important). Punishment should fit the individual criminal, not the crime (indeterminate sentencing, disparate sentencing, parole). The criminal justice system should be guided by scientific experts (rule by scientific elite, tech nocracy). Criminals can be treated, rehabilitated, or corrected (if not, then they are incurable and should be put to death). (OConnor, 2006). The most influential figures in the field of sociological positivism in criminology are Quetelet, Guerry, Comte, Durkheim, Ferri, Garofalo, Merton and Agnew. 3. Durkhiems and Mertons main features of sociological positivism. The main features of Durkheims sociological positivism in criminology are the distinction between mechanistic solidarity and organic solidarity, his views about the division of labour as a signal of social progress, his opinion that crime and deviance are necessary for change and progress in society, and the introduction of the concept of anomie in the social structure for explaining the causes of crime and deviance (Hopkins Burke, 200591-95 Greek, 2005).For Durkheim, simple societies before the industrialisation process were formed by people that behaved and thought in similar ways since they performed similar work tas ks with group-oriented goals (Greek, 2005). They were characterised by having mechanical solidarity. They had an intense and rigid collective conscience invariabley reinforced by sacred religious belief (Durkheim paraphased by Hopkins Burke & Pollock, 200410). In this kind of society Repressive