Rikosluokasta

Rikosluokasta, often translated as "criminal class" or "delinquent class," is a concept primarily associated with early 20th-century sociological and criminological thought, particularly in Finland. It describes a group of individuals perceived as being predisposed to criminal behavior due to their social circumstances, environment, or perceived inherent characteristics.

The term emerged in a period of significant social change and urbanization, where increasing crime rates were a subject of public concern. Sociologists and reformers sought to understand the root causes of this perceived increase in crime and identify specific populations that contributed to it. The rikosluokasta concept suggested that poverty, lack of education, poor living conditions, and certain inherited traits could create a distinct social group, the "criminal class," whose members were more likely to engage in illegal activities.

This perspective was often linked to deterministic theories that emphasized environmental or biological factors over individual free will. It influenced social welfare policies, which aimed to reform or segregate individuals identified as belonging to the rikosluokasta. However, the concept has been criticized for its oversimplification of complex social issues, its potential for stigmatization and discrimination, and its lack of empirical support for the existence of a biologically or socially defined "criminal class."

Modern criminology tends to focus on multifactorial explanations for crime, considering a wide range of individual, social, economic, and environmental influences rather than adhering to a monolithic "criminal class" theory. The term itself is largely considered outdated and problematic within contemporary academic discourse.