Criminology
How far do explanations of offending based on individual factors (such as biology, psychology, life-course, and addiction) challenge ideas of free will and choice? Are they too deterministic to be useful?
Crucially, answers needed to try to assess what the implications and issues with such an understanding might be – does it lead to pre-emptive and risk-based profiling and targeting of those with mental illnesses or ‘criminal genes’? Does a focus on risk factors tend to harden and deepen perceived gaps between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ across social and economic lines? Does it lead us to punish people for the outcomes of factors they cannot influence or change? How might the ‘social’ elements of biosocial theory, or the more contextual elements of cognitive psychology, help to address these issues? The answer should provide a clear answer on this sort of analysis and should really try to engage with the criticisms that Rose is making.