Chapter 11 Flashcards
What is Social Control?
Various ways that individuals are controlled. They are actions intended to prevent, correct, punish, or cure people, behaviours or characteristics that are considered unacceptable .
What is Deviance?
Acts that go against (or deviate) from norms
What are Crimes?
Normative expectations that are formalized by the state (into laws)
What is Deviant?
A word that is sometimes used to refer to unacceptable acts or behaviours but is also sometimes used to refer to people in their entirety
What are the types of Social Control?
Formal Informal Preventive Retroactive It can be directed at other people or directed at other people at or ourselves
What is Formal Social Control?
Social control implemented through some sort of official channel, supported by some kind of authority
What is Informal Social Control?
Social control found in everyday actions
What is Retroactive Social Control?
Social control after the act
What is Preventative social control?
Social control before the act, educating us not to do the act
What are the characteristics of norms?
They are socially constructed, change overtime, and vary across groups so something that is considered normative in one context may not be in others
What do Scholars say Deviance is?
An objective trait that is inherently unacceptable and warranting social control
What are the different ways people propose we rate deviancy?
By how common it is
By its normative violation (like butting violates a norm)
By its harm
By how its viewed negatively by most people
What do some people argue about deviance and its objectivity?
Some people argue that it is not objective but a behaviour is deviant if there is enough support from powerful people/groups in society to categorize it as deviant.
What kind of deviation do criminologists focus on?
Criminal acts
What is Crime?
Any behaviour that violates criminal law
What is the first viewpoint about how laws people laws? (Consent)
There is a consensual understanding that sees laws written to control those behaviors we all find unacceptable. Suggests that we consent to the laws being created
How does the Conflict View see laws?
The conflict view sees those in the ruling class in the position to normalize their own behaviour and oppress the powerless through laws
How does the Interactionist viewpoint view laws?
It sees that laws are created as problems are presented through special interest groups and then brought to the interest of powerful bodies they engage to deal with those problems. Ex. Domestic violence groups bringing their issue to the government
What does the Balanced view say about how laws are created?
Laws are developed through special interest groups, attitudes of the majority and the interests of the powerful
What is the Common Law system?
Where decisions made by the courts set precedents that shape decision making in similar cases in the future
What is Private Law or Civil law?
It is law between citizens like suing your neighbor
What is Public Law?
Crimes that are understood to be against society and are more serious with more serious punishments
What does Criminal fall under?
Public Law
What are the two crime classifications?
Perceived Seriousness and Intended victim of harm
How are Crimes broken down in Perceived seriousness?
Summary Conviction
Indictable offences
Hybrid Offences
What are Summary Convictions?
Less serious crimes with corresponding less serious punishments like theft that would receive a find or jail time no more than 6 months in jail, or both