AC 1.2 - social construction of criminality

Question 1

what is polygamy

Answer 1

polygamy is having more then one spouse at the same time

Question 2

is polygamy a crime ?

Answer 2

in most countries it is a crime

Question 3

religious reasons for why polygamy is accepted

Answer 3

within the muslim culture the Qu’ran say that a man can have up to four wives

Question 4

Traditional reason why polygamy is accepted

Answer 4

it is traditionally practiced within African cultures

Question 5

what is cannabis

Answer 5

cannabis is a drug that is grown within the UK, and used in illegal ways

Question 6

where is cannabis a crime ?

Answer 6

the possession of cannabis is illegal within the UK and other European countries

Question 7

where is the use of cannabis legal?

Answer 7

the use of cannabis is legalised within Canada and some US states for medical reasons

Question 8

reasons for why it is decriminalised in other countries

Answer 8

many people have different views on peoples personal rights to freedom - i.e some people believe that they can do what every they want with their body whilst others see taking drugs as immoral

Question 9

different on ideas on why it is decriminalised in other countries

Answer 9

some governments see the use of drugs as something they can’t control so legalising would stop more harm, yet some countries have criminalised it because people use it for power and use it to try and control

Question 10

what is homosexuality

Answer 10

homosexuality is sexual acts between two people of the same sex

Question 11

where is it a crime ?

Answer 11

it is a crime in 75 different countries - some countries, like Russia, ban the promotion of homosexuality

Question 12

where is it legal

Answer 12

it is legal in a range of countries like the UK and the US

Question 13

religious reasons why homosexuality is seen as deviant

Answer 13

homosexuality is seen to be wrong in religions because it is something that they have been told is wrong and therefore they go against

Question 14

public reasons why homosexuality is seen as deviant

Answer 14

homosexuality can be seen as deviant within the public opinion because they could see it as wrong, some countries have high support for the ban of homosexuality

Question 15

why can culture lead to the social construction of crime

Answer 15

a culture can lead to the social construction of crime because if a society as a whole see an action as wrong themselves they won’t tolerate

Question 16

why can time lead to the social construction of time

Answer 16

time can lead to the social construction of time because the view of a society could slowly shift because of events that could occur over time change peoples views.

Question 17

how did the view of homosexuality change over time?

Answer 17

made criminal in 1885
legalised at 21 in 1967
legalised at 18 in 1994
legalised at 16 in 2000

Question 18

reasons why homosexuality was legalised

Answer 18

there were many campaigns for the legalisation of homosexuality: homosexual law reform society, stonewall and campaign for homosexuality equality

Question 19

reasons why drug laws changed over time (in Portugal)

Answer 19

from 2000 the law changed in Portugal and it became a civil offence if a person carried more then a ten day supply

Question 20

public health reasons why drug laws changed over time

Answer 20

states see drugs as a public health issue and can lead to bodily damage

Question 21

economical reasons why drug laws changed over time

Answer 21

with the new law imposed it was believed that the cost of drugs would be reduced by 18%