Social construction of crime Flashcards
what is a crime
an act that goes against the law
what is deviance
an act that goes against societies norms but is not against the law
what does deviance lead to
a disapproval from society
what are formal sanctions
prison sentence, fines, community service
what are formal authorities
police, CPS, government
what are informal sanctions
telling off, detention, grounded
what is a moral panic
a feeling of fear spread among a large number of people which they believe threatens the wellbeing of society
how is moral panic often spread
through the media
who came up with the term moral panic
Stanley Cohen
what is self fulfilling prophecy
continuous labelling and being told they are seen in a negative way so they take on this negative behaviour
what is deviancy amplification
groups such as police and courts use media to create public uproar so people push for issues to be dealt with which puts pressure on the government to crack down on groups and social issues
what are folk devils
groups targeted by a moral panic and seen as a threat to society
what are examples of moral panic
knife crime, islamophobia
what does Stanley Cohen believe
people are labelled and stereotyped by the media as evil and a threat to society
