Formal Agency of Social Control - Courts

Question 1

Opening statement

How is the court a formal agency of social control

Definition

How does this affect Lebron’s legacy

Answer 1

A formal agency of social control since

Court has power to punish individuals who are seen as criminals or not being ‘law abiding citizens’

Question 2

Some detail on courts

Not specific to any sociological theory

Answer 2

2 Types of Cases in the UK:
Civil Cases & Criminal Cases

• Civil cases between plaintiff & defendant
• Criminal cases between State & Defendant

Criminal cases deal with alleged offenders and convicts & sentences people

Question 3

Functionalist view on court

Is it good or bad??

Answer 3

• Functionalists see Courts as powerful means of Social Control (positive view
• for example, Courts can be accessed by all of society, decisions made likely to be fair because they’re based on Law rather than personal judgement

Question 4

Marxists view on court

Is it good or bad (hmm)

Answer 4

• Courts only benefits rich and powerful
  -law mainly about protecting property
• Poor treated more harshly
  Judges made up of rich people, educated in private schools
  thus, don’t understand poverty and problems faced by WC people
• Judges punish WC more than RC
  because WC don’t have money to hire a good lawyer to fight their cases

Judge’s decision are harsh and unfair for WC and lenient for RC