Sociology
Serial killers have long astonished people throughout history with their sadistic and disturbing behavior. Academics have researched and theorized the question of what factors or influences individuals to become serial killers. In the following paper I will analyze the case of Robert Pickton using a different theory in the areas of sociology, psychology and anthropology. Criminology can be used to reveal how society, police and the media all created a vulnerability that gave Pickton the opportunity to carry out his killings. Abnormal psychology is used to demonstrate his deviance as a result of his childhood experiences along with an incident that occurred with a prostitute. Finally cultural and physical anthropology can illustrate the influence of the social structures surrounding Pickton.
Sociology: Criminology
The criminology perspective of sociology reveals that Robert Pickton showed very typical characteristics of a serial killer. One of these actions is the fact that he targeted prostitutes and drug addicts from Vancouver’s downtown eastside, which is known for its drug problems. It is very common for serial killers to target such an area, as people within this area are in vulnerable situations such as the prostitutes (McDonald, 2009) David Wilson is a professor of criminology at the Birmingham City University and talks about this idea of vulnerability in his book, A History of British Serial Killing. He establishes through statistics that there are five major groups that have been targeted by serial killers throughout history: women, children, gay men, the elderly and prostitutes. “Serial killers have only ever been able to achieve their purpose by targeting vulnerable people… That vulnerability is created by our attitudes toward people who sell sexual services. What we need is
Sociology: Criminology
The criminology perspective of sociology reveals that Robert Pickton showed very typical characteristics of a serial killer. One of these actions is the fact that he targeted prostitutes and drug addicts from Vancouver’s downtown eastside, which is known for its drug problems. It is very common for serial killers to target such an area, as people within this area are in vulnerable situations such as the prostitutes (McDonald, 2009) David Wilson is a professor of criminology at the Birmingham City University and talks about this idea of vulnerability in his book, A History of British Serial Killing. He establishes through statistics that there are five major groups that have been targeted by serial killers throughout history: women, children, gay men, the elderly and prostitutes. “Serial killers have only ever been able to achieve their purpose by targeting vulnerable people… That vulnerability is created by our attitudes toward people who sell sexual services. What we need is