Crime, policy and social change Flashcards
What are 3 ways social changes affect policy development?
Changes to social norms, values and mores
Demographic changes
Cultural changes
What are values?
general principles, beliefs or guidelines about how we should live our lives. They tell us what is right and wrong, good and bad. Different societies may have different values.
What are norms?
Specific rules or socially accepted standards about how we are expected to behave in specific situations. These norms can be informal, unwritten rules or formal, written rules.
What are specific norms?
Often based on general values. For example, modern society values the principle that all individuals are of equal worth. From this value come specific norms making it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their race, sex or sexual orientation.
What are mores?
Very basic, essential norms that society sees as vital for maintaining standards of decency and civilised behaviour. In other words, mores are society’s most important moral rules.
Example for mores?
One example is the taboo against incest which is found in all societies.
What is public perception of crime?
Public perceptions of crime are a key factor in influencing policy development.
Public perceptions can either lead to decriminalisation or increased punishment.
As public views of a particular issue change, laws and policies often change, too.
What can be linked to public perception of crime?
Gun laws and homosexuality and drink driving.
Timelines of drink driving?
1925: The first law on drink driving is passed, but there was no limit or definition of what ‘drunk’ was.
1968: The first breathalysers are introduced. This helped reduced road deaths by over 1,100 and serious injuries by over 11,000. The proportion of accidents involving alcohol fell from 25% to 15%.
2014: The prison sentence is increased to 14 years.
Demographic changes - what does immigration, emigration and net migration mean?
Immigration: movement into a society
Emigration: movement out of a society
Net migration: difference between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants
History of immigration in the UK?
In 1945, there were fewer than 20,000 non-White residents in the UK.
During the 1950s and 1960s, non-White immigrants came from former British colonies in the Caribbean, the Indian subcontinent and Africa. More recently, people have come from Eastern Europe. Mostly these groups came in search of economic opportunities, often filling jobs that the British refused to take.
As a result, the UK’s demographic structure has changed to a multi-ethnic one. According to the last census in 2021, around 19% of the UK’s population are non-White.
Case study: The Windrush Generation?
In 1948, the Empire Windrush liner brought 802 migrants from British colonies in the Caribbean to London.
At the time, racial discrimination was legal, which led to hostility, exploitation and social inequality.
A survey in 1956 found that only 1.5% of English landlords were willing to house black tenants.
Despite being highly qualified, many migrants struggled to acquire low paid work, and as a result experienced poverty.
What is the Race relations act?
Race Relations Act was passed in 1965. This banned racial discrimination in public places.
A further Race Relations Act in 1968 outlawed discrimination in the key areas of employment, housing and public services. In 2010, the Race Relations Act was replaced by the Equality Act.
What was the impact on public perceptions?
In 1987, the British Attitudes Survey found that 39% of people said they were racially prejudiced, and this had fallen to 27% in 2017.
LGBT+ rights: key dates and legislation?
1533 Buggery Act: Sodomy between men was punishable by death.
1954: Over 1,000 men are in prison for homosexuality, including war veterans and Nazi enigma code breaker Alan Turing.
2013 Marriage Equality Act: Homosexual couples can legally marry.
