Question

Discuss how the merging of these theories contributed to the development of life-course theories of criminality and also contributed significantly to the field of criminology.

Answer 1

The life course theory is used as a starting point to replace other theories that have micro perspective. Historically Karl Mannheim can be credited for demonstrating that the human experiences, specifically undergone in childhood, shape their ultimate outcome. He later goes on to note these outcomes will be passed down from generation to generation concluding that past generations form the further generations. This was his dissertation study, The Sociological Problem of Generations. Later W.I Thomas and F. Znaniecki are the two sociologists have widened the scope of the theory. They analyzed the lives of Polish peasants to study the everyday life through socio-economic standpoint in The Polish Peasant in Europe and America. More recently, John Laub and Robert Sampson modern criminologists have worked to further investigate and apply the life-course theory to a criminological stand-point. Today the life-course theory childhood, adolescence, and adulthood as an important phase in the lifecycle of the person and how these phases play a role in the participation of criminal behavior. The important factors that play a role in the childhood stage are parental guidance. The time spent at the school, church are factors to consider in the adolescence phase. At the adult stage factors like marriage, children, and employment play a vital role. The life-course theory’s attempts to explain why certain individuals are more prone to a life of crime than other individuals. For this, the events or the factors, or experiences, that occur throughout human life helps in the assessment.The life-course theory proponents consider human behavior depends more on nurture rather than nature. The theory recognizes that every human being is unique and different from each other and the reason they are unique because of their experiences. Considering these factors this theory has contributed significantly to the field of criminology.