Society

Question 1

what is a society?

Answer 1

a group of people sharing the same geographical location

Question 2

some countries have…

Answer 2

very distinct cultures, moral beliefs and religions. however, others have been subject to a range of values and beliefs (multicultural).

Question 3

a pluralistic society is…

Answer 3

a society that does not share the same beliefs

Question 4

AO3: problem with a pluralistic society

Answer 4

• hard to please everyone
• laws may go against personal views/beliefs
• it is difficult for any one party to maintain government
• however, many laws like murder share a common moral goal

Question 5

the law has 4 main roles in society:

Answer 5

protect people
promote common good
settle disputes
persuade people to do the right thing

Question 6

what are social norms?

Answer 6

common expectations of behaviour

Question 7

how does the law shape social norms?

Answer 7

it’s power to influence

Question 8

how does society shape social norms?

Answer 8

civil disobedience such as strikes, riots and protests

Question 9

however, the law uses power to…

Answer 9

react to civil disobedience e.g police presence

Question 10

how does the media shape social norms?

Answer 10

they create sensationalism and moral panic
blame a section of society for societal problems

Question 11

what is an example of the media shaping social norms?

Answer 11

XL Bully Dogs in the media

Question 12

AO3: role law plays in society

Answer 12

• media is biased
• media can have a political influence
• not everything we read is completely impartial
• can sensationalise

Question 13

the law is one way social control is achieved. the law discourages…

Answer 13

deviance and encourages conformity

Question 14

what are the two forms of social control?

Answer 14

formal social control - police and courts
informal social control - family, community, schools

Question 15

right realists believe in…

Answer 15

tough formal social control. (e.g harsh sentences/tough policing)
people turn to criminal behaviour due to inadequate informal social control.

Question 16

left realists believe in…

Answer 16

strengthening informal social control.
people turn to crime due to social inequality, economic factors and influence of family/peers.
e.g poverty impacts crime so we should reduce the larger issue rather than the crime itself

Question 17

AO3: relationship between law and society / control mechanisms

Answer 17

• some people have weak informal control which leads to crime
• harsh sentencing and policing does not always work and it costs the tax payer a lot of money

Question 18

theories on law and society:

Answer 18

consensus theory
conflict theory
labelling theory
legal realism

Question 19

what is the consensus theory?

Answer 19

Durkheim:
requires society to agree about what laws are needed.
this works because most people are successfully socialised from a young age into shared values through family and education

Question 20

what is the conflict theory?

Answer 20

Marx:
society is in a constant conflict for limited resources in society.
the wealthy and poweful suppress the poor and powerless.

Question 21

what is the labelling theory?

Answer 21

Becker:
the law creates criminals when it labels an action as a crime.
those sharing the same characteristics e.g race/age etc become stereotyped and society expects them to conform to their stereotype.

Question 22

what is the legal realists theory?

Answer 22

society moves faster than the law - there can never be a certainty of law.

Question 23

AO3: theories

Answer 23

• society moving faster than the law makes sense when you look at how long parliamentary law making is
• consensus theory will never work in a pluralistic society

Question 24

link between society and criminal law:

Answer 24

Tony Martin was given defence of self-defence after gaining popularity for shooting a burglar that came onto his property.
this impacted the Homeowners Act

Question 25

link between society and tort law:

Answer 25

‘affects the neighbourhood’ was added to private nuisance law after individuals in a small society complained about a sex shop

Question 26

link between society and human rights law:

Answer 26

society has impacted the law through Article 11 freedom of assembly. we all have a right to protest against laws that we disagree with.

Question 27

AO3: impact on areas of law

Answer 27

• if a protest turns violent, it does not have the impact necessary for change
• Tony Martin was convicted then the sentence was changed - should we allow society to undermine the authority of the courts?