LO1: Understand Social Constructions of Criminality Flashcards
what are Norms
specific rules or socially accepted standards that govern people’s behaviour in particular situations. for example respecting your elders.
what are values
Are general principles or guidelines for how we should live our lives. They tell us what’s right and wrong. for example accumulating personal wealth.
what is a moral code
a set of basic rules, values and principles held by an individual, group, organisation or society as a whole. for example the police code of ethics.
what are Mores
Socially approved norms or standards of moral and ethical behavior. for example the desecration of religious symbols is bad in society
what are formal sanctions
imposed by official bodies, punishment for breaking formal (written) rules or laws
what are infromal sanctions
when the rules are not formally written down and are perhaps “unspoken” and punishment is not given out by govening bodies, instead by the community.
give 3 examples of infromal sanctions
name calling, removal from groups, distancing
give 3 examples of formal sanctions
Police sanctions - official warnings
Court sanctions:
Custodial sentences like prison
Community sentences e.g. probation orders, curfews, community payback.
what is the legal definition of crime
Any action forbiden by law. that has Actus Reus - “a guilty act” and mens rea - “A guilty mind”
define deviance
any behaviour that differs from normal (Unusual, uncommon or out of the ordinary behaviour). this behaviour could be unusual and good like heroically risking one’s own life to save someone else’s, unusual and eccentric or bizarre like talking to trees in the park, unusual and bad or is disapproved of like physically attacking someone for no reason
what are the partial defences that can be used
Strict liability - sometimes the wrongful act on its own is enough to convict someone. Even if you don’t intend to do wrong, sometimes it’s still a crime
Self-defence - assaulting someone when it is self defence is not a crime, so long as the force used was reasonable
what is the social definition of crime
braking the social norms we have in a society
what are the two types of offences
Indictable offences: these are more serious offences, such as murder
Summary offences: these are sell serious offences, such as speeding
what are social constructs
A social construct is an idea that has been created and accepted by society rather than simply occurring naturally.
why is crime a social construct
its dynamic, contested and contingent .
explain how laws change over time
All homosexual acts between men was a made a crime officialy made crime in 1885. Untill 1967 when malesaged 21 or over were legalised then in 2000 homosexuals were Equalised with hetrosexuals with civil partnership is passed in 2004
explain how laws change depending on place
Laws change varying on place due to the culture of places being different. For example, in California, the laws are more relaxed around marijuana consumption, compared to the UK, where laws are very strict, and possession is commonly punished by jail time or a hefty fine.
explain how laws change depending on culture
Adultery laws change based on culture. In a more modern and accepting culture such as the west or certain parts of asia, adultery is seen as a civil matter that should be settled between the involved parties. In cultures that have heavy religious influence on their laws, such as the Middle East or Indonesia, adultery can have punishments ranging from prison sentences to stoning.
