THEORIES O F C R IM E

CA U S A TI ON
TION W ITH T HE SOC IAL
MIN D A ND B E HA VIOR IN RELA
LESSON 1: HUMAN
NORM AND ETHICS
 INTRODUCTION
• HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE HUMAN MINDS? The origin of the meaning of the mind offers a long
and rich history. Unlike many other words and phrases there is no clear evolution given for its
use. Its meaning was more dependent on the context of its usage rather than any single meaning.
If spoken of by a philosopher the mind may well mean one’s personality, identity, and their
memories. For the religious the mind houses the spirit, an awareness of God, or to the scientist the
mind is the generator of ideas and thoughts. The mind has carried with it many diverse labels. In
its infancy references to the mind truly were metaphoric.
It was not until the 14th and 15th centuries that the generalization of mind to include all mental
faculties, thought, volition, feeling, and memory gradually developed.
In the late 19th and early 20th century brought psychology to the forefront as a respected
science. Due in no small part to the work of Freud and others, the popular focus on the human
mind, its role in the behavioral sciences, and the mind/body question solidified. Today, the concept
of the mind and its functions is almost always discussed from a scientific point of view.
 While the human behavior, it is the potential and expressed capacity for physical, mental,
and social activity during the phases of human life.

Humans, like other animal species, have a typical life course that consists of successive phases
of growth, each of which is characterized by a distinct set of physical, physiological, and
behavioral features. These phases are prenatal life, infancy, childhood, adolescence,
and adulthood (including old age). Human development, or developmental psychology, is a
field of study that attempts to describe and explain the changes in human cognitive, emotional,
and behavioral capabilities and functioning over the entire life span, from the fetus to old age.

Most scientific research on human development has concentrated on the period from birth
through early adolescence, owing to both the rapidity and magnitude of the psychological
changes observed during those phases and to the fact that they culminate in the optimum
mental functioning of early adulthood. A primary motivation of many investigators in the field
has been to determine how the culminating mental abilities of adulthood were reached during
the preceding phases. This essay will concentrate, therefore, on human development during the
first 12 years of life.
This PowerPoint discuss the development of human behavior. For treatment of biological
development, see human development. For further treatment of particular facets of behavioral
development, see emotion; learning theory; motivation; perception; personality; and sexual behavior,
human. Various disorders with significant behavioral manifestations are discussed in mental disorder.

The systematic study of children is less than 200 years old, and the vast majority of its research has
been published since the mid-1940s. Basic philosophical differences over the fundamental nature of
children and their growth occupied psychologists during much of the 20th century. The most
important of such controversies concerned the relative importance of genetic endowment
and environment, or “nature” and “nurture,” in determining development during infancy and
childhood. Most researchers came to recognize, however, that it is the interaction of inborn biological
factors with external factors, rather than the mutually exclusive action or predominance of one or the
other force, that guides and influences human development. The advances in cognition, emotion, and
behavior that normally occur at certain points in the life span require both maturation (genetically
driven biological changes in the central nervous system) and events, experiences, and influences in the
physical and social environment. Generally, maturation by itself cannot cause a psychological function
to emerge; it does, however, permit such a function to occur and sets limits on its earliest time of
appearance.
According to some ideals of humanism to be considered truly human is to have these four potentialities.
1. Physical potentiality
2. Mental abilities
3. Communication skills
4. Social skills

However, to be considered a true human being does not necessarily means that a person excels in all these four skill: it is
enough one averagely possesses all the four potentialities.
But according to Michael D. Moga, S.J Human beings are not necessarily human. Such a statement may sound very
puzzling but it is true for two reasons. First of all, it takes much time and effort for a human being to grow to the point where
his own nature has reached full realization. When born he acts like a little animal, not yet being fully human. It will take
many years of training and education by his family and society, many years of effort and struggle on his own part before the
fullness of humanity can be achieved. Until that state of full humanness is attained we cannot say that he is fully human.

Secondly, it is very possible that an individual human being will not reach full development at all. We recognize that there
are human beings which fail to possess those basic qualities which are required for full humanness. Sometimes we use the
word “inhuman” to describe such persons. They may be cruel, insensitive to others, irrational, or robot-like in their lives and
dealings with others. At other times we use the word “animal” to describe persons who follow their lower instincts and ignore
their consciences, their human dignity and the higher values of human life. We judge such inhuman people, such “animals,”
to be less than fully human.
CONCEPT

Understanding the human mind is the main concept and core of psychoanalytic theory. Since
the introduction of the theory of Sigmund Freud in the early 1900’s and despite the many
advancements in the study of psychoanalytic theory Freud's basic thoughts retain a strong hold
on the shaping of views regarding the theory of the human mind.
At the center of Freud's theory are psychopathologies that result in a mental illness within a
subject. It is Freud's premise that within the human mind is contained in three levels of awareness
or consciousness. It is the introduction of these psychopathologies that affect people, thus
requiring more than simply talking about them. The effective treatment of these deep seated
psychopathologies is psychoanalysis.
In the illustration below is Freud's division of these three levels and the estimated usage of
each level. They are the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious. Working together they create
our reality.
Although acceptance of Freud's psychoanalytical theory has ebbed
and flowed over time few professionals would suggest dismissing it.
Within it is a model or concept that has withstood the many tests of
time.
 NORM
There are many ways that people can influence our behavior, but perhaps one of the most important is that the presence of
others seems to set up expectations. We do not expect people to behave randomly but to behave in certain ways in particular
situations.  Each social situation entails its own particular set of expectations about the “proper” way to behave. Such
expectations can vary from group to group. One way in which these expectations become apparent is when we look at the roles
that people play in society.
Social roles are the part people play as members of a social group. With each social role you adopt, your behavior changes to
fit the expectations both you and others have of that role.
IN THE WORDS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE:

•All the worlds a stage,

•And all the men and women merely players:

•They have their exits, and their entrances;

•And one man in his time plays many parts.

These lines capture the essence of social roles.  Think of how many roles you play in a single day, e.G. Son, daughter, sister,
brother, students, worker, friend etc.  Each social role carries expected behaviors called norms.
NORM
Norms play a crucial role in individual choice since by shaping individual needs and preferences
they serve as criteria for selecting among alternatives. Such criteria are shared by a given community
and embody a common value system. People may choose what they prefer, but what they prefer in turn
conforms to social expectations: norms influence behavior because, through a process of socialization
that starts in infancy, they become part of one’s motives for action. Conformity to standing norms is a
stable, acquired disposition that is independent of the consequences of conforming. Such lasting
dispositions are formed by long-term interactions with significant others (One’s parents): through
repeated socialization, individuals come to learn and internalize the common values embodied in the
norms. Internalization is conceived as the process by which people develop a psychological need or
motive to conform to a set of shared norms. When norms are internalized norm-abiding behavior will be
perceived as good or appropriate, and people will typically feel guilt or shame at the prospect of
behaving in a deviant way. If internalization is successful external sanctions will play no role in eliciting
conformity and, since individuals are motivated to conform, it follows that normative beliefs and actions
will be consistent.
 SOCIAL NORM
Social norms are unwritten rules about how to behave.  They provide us with an expected idea of how to behave in a
particular social group or culture.  For example, we expect students to arrive to a lesson on time and complete their work.
The idea of norms provides a key to understanding social influence in general and conformity in particular. Social
norms are the accepted standards of behavior of social groups.
These groups range from friendship and workgroups to nation-states.  Behavior which fulfills these norms is
called conformity, and most of the time roles and norms are powerful ways of understanding and predicting what people
will do.
There are norms defining appropriate behavior for every social group. For example, students, neighbors and patients
in a hospital are all aware of the norms governing behavior. And as the individual moves from one group to another, their
behavior changes accordingly.
Norms provide order in society. It is difficult to see how human society could operate without social norms. Human
beings need norms to guide and direct their behavior, to provide order and predictability in social relationships and to
make sense of and understanding of each other’s actions. These are some of the reasons why most people, most of the
time, conform to social norms.
 ETHICS

What is ethics?.
In broad lines, ethics is a philosophical science that studies morality as one of the most important
aspects of human and social existence. At the same time, ethics is also a scientific discipline that focuses on
tackling two significant issues: 1) theoretical issues regarding the essence and nature of morality and 2)
questions about people should live their lives based on a set of norms and principles.
At first glance, ethics sounds a lot like morality. In fact, most people think ethics and morality are two
interchangeable constructs. But while ethics is an interdisciplinary domain that draws explanations from
various humanities, morality is mainly a set of rules and principles based on which we define “good” and
“evil.”
ETHICS
In fact, throughout the years, morality has been influenced heavily by the same religious doctrines that have
shaped our civilization. Although there is a considerable degree of congruence between most religions, we cannot
help but notice subtle nuances that translate into moral and ethical differences.
In a world where people have begun replacing religious dogmas with scientific facts, the question we need to ask
ourselves is — will ethics and morality suffer changes as a result of this global shift of perspective?
That is where the difference between morality and ethics is most evident. In other words, while morality is a
point of view shaped by religious dogmas and various social rules, ethics is a way of thinking that doesn’t require
faith or belief. In ethics, there are no definitive laws and no higher order; only actions that are congruent or
incongruent with a given ‘trend.’ In short, ethics teaches us how to think, not what to think.
Leaving aside the theoretical background, applied ethics is made up of several disciplines that aim to investigate
philosophical problems, situations, and real-world dilemmas. Among these disciplines are business ethics,
environmental ethics, research ethics, ethics of media, ethics of international relations, and many more.
As you can see, ethics as much a philosophical discipline as it is a science of the real world. Every important
decision we make and every opinion that we might have on a given topic has an ethical component.
 WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ETHICS/
ETHICAL
At its simplest, ethics is a system of moral principles. They affect how people make decisions and
lead their lives. Ethics is concerned with what is good for individuals and society and is also
described as moral philosophy. The term is derived from the Greek word ethos which can mean
custom, habit, character or disposition.

ETHICS COVERS THE FOLLOWING DILEMMAS:

 How to live a good life
 Our rights and responsibilities
 The language of right and wrong
 Moral decisions - what is good and bad
 BEHAVIORAL ETHICS

Behavioral ethics is a new field of social scientific research that seeks to understand how people
actually behave when confronted with ethical dilemmas. It refers to behavior that is judged according to
generally accepted norms of behavior.
Behavioral ethics lead to the development of ethical models such as the so-called "bystander
intervention", which describes ethical behavior as far harder to display because of what we learn
from social institutions such as family, school, and religion. Here, intervening in an ethically challenging
situation means that an individual must go through several steps and that failure to complete all means
a failure to behave ethically.