Chapter 11 Flashcards
Define social control, identify its relationship to deviance, and differentiate among its varying types.
Social control refers to measures intended to prevent, punish, “fix” or cure unacceptable (ex. deviant) behaviours and characteristics. Some forms of social control stem from organizations and institutions (formally), while others emerge from the actions of individuals in everyday interactions (informally). Some measures of social control are directed at deviance that has already occurred, while others attempt to prevent deviance from occurring in the first place. Some forms of social control are directed at others, while other forms we direct at ourselves.
Compare and contrast the different criteria that are highlighted as the foundation for determining deviance, explain the view that deviance is socially constructed, and differentiate between high-consensus and low-consensus deviance.
In academia there are different views of how we determine which behaviours and characteristics are deviant, and which are not. Some scholars highlight “objective” characteristics such as rarity, harm, normative violation, or a negative reaction by members of society. Others prefer to view deviance as socially constructed and as intertwined with structures of power. High-consensus deviance and low-consensus deviance refer to the level of agreement pertaining to the labelling of particular behaviours/characteristics as deviant by members of society.
Explain the relationship between the concepts of deviance and crime.
Deviance refers to behaviours/characteristics that are deemed unacceptable and subjected to measures of social control. Crime is a specific form of deviance, which consists of behaviours that are deemed to be so unacceptable that they are legislated against and subjected to the most formal and institutionalized form of social control, via the criminal justice system. Scholars that focus on criminal behaviours are known as criminologists.
Outline the contrasting views of how laws are created, identify the legal meaning of a crime, and differentiate among crime classifications.
There are different views on the process of law creation: consensual, conflict, interactionist, and balanced. Crime refers to violations of criminal law, which is a form of public law. Crimes are categorized in a variety of ways like summary vs. indictable, victimless, white collar, corporate, and cyber crime.
Describe the criminal justice system and the rationale for punishment as the primary means for controlling crime.
The criminal justice system consists of police, courts, and prisons, which attempt to control criminal behaviour through the use of punishment that is designed to prevent (or deter) criminal activity, rehabilitate offenders, and protect society.
Discuss critiques of traditional forms of punishment, and explain how restorative justice differs from retributive forms of punishment such as imprisonment.
Abolitionists call for the overhaul of the criminal justice system, while others point it to the covert and subtle racism that pervades it. Restorative justice seeks to heal and repair harm caused by an offender. This approach requires an offender to take responsibility for the resolution process, which includes relationships among victims, offenders, and the wider community.
