AC1.2 Explain The Social Construction Of Criminality

Question 1

Definition of social construction

Answer 1

When an act becomes criminal or decriminalised due to labels from from society

Question 2

Definition of cross-cultural deviance

Answer 2

Different groups in society have diverse beliefs, traditions and religions which influence their behaviour and attitudes towards what is considered criminal

Question 3

Cross-cultural deviance - polygamy

Answer 3

The practice of having multiple husbands or wives at one time
- Polygany - one man married to several women
- Polyandry - one woman married to multiple men

• polygany is legal in 58 countries (mostly Muslim)
• polygamy illegal in most countries
• religion - Qur’ran allows Muslim men to have 4 wives
• tradition - Practices in some African countries, so men have more children

Question 4

Cross-cultural deviance - homosexuality

Answer 4

Sexual attraction between members of the same sex

• legal in UK, USA, countries across Europe and South America
• illegal in 72 countries, death penalty in some middle Eastern (Saudi Arabia)
• religion - cultures with less religious influence on social norms are more accepting
• public opinion - 95% of people in Egypt are against homosexuality

Question 5

Definition of historical deviance

Answer 5

How acts change over time - decriminalised (e.g cannabis) or goes from deviant to crime (e.g revenge porn)

Question 6

Historical deviance - R V Ahluwalia case

Answer 6

• Mrs Ahluwalia was abused for 12 years
• guilty of murder of husband
• Southall black sisters (campaign organisation against domestic abuse) brought an appeal
• judge created new defence ‘battered woman syndrome’
• convicted of manslaughter and released from prison

Question 7

Historical deviance - homosexuality

Answer 7

• laws have changed greatly since 1967
• 2000 age of consent became equal to heterosexuality
• 2013 marriage act - gay marriage legalised in UK