Final answer:
Cesare Lombroso argued that certain physical characteristics could be used to identify criminals, a concept he detailed in his work 'The Criminal Man'. Other sociologists like Durkheim, Merton, and Hirschi focused on social factors, strain within society, and social bonds when explaining crime and deviance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual who posited that certain physical characteristics could be used to identify criminals was Cesare Lombroso. Cesare Lombroso was an Italian criminologist and a founder of the Italian School of Positivist Criminology. His theory, which he detailed in his work "The Criminal Man" first published in 1876, suggested that criminals are distinguished from noncriminals by multiple physical anomalies. Lombroso believed these traits were throwbacks to earlier stages of human evolution, coining the term "atavistic stigmata" for these features.
The other individuals listed—Émile Durkheim, Robert Merton, and Travis Hirschi—were also influential sociologists but did not propose theories on physical characteristics identifying criminals. Durkheim focused on social factors and collective conscience that contribute to deviance and crime in societies. His idea of social facts suggests that society and its norms shape individual behavior, and punishment serves to affirm societal norms. Robert Merton developed the Strain Theory, which posits that social structures within society may pressure citizens to commit crimes. Finally, Travis Hirschi proposed the Social Bond Theory, which argues that individuals who have strong social bonds with others are less likely to commit crimes than those with weaker bonds.