UNIT 2 - AC1.2 - SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION

Question 1

laws that vary between cultures

Answer 1

polygamy - punishable up to seven years in prison (UK)
under islamic law, men can have up to four wives as long as they are mentally and financially stable

homosexuality - legalised in the UK, still illegal in places such as India and Iran

Question 2

laws that vary over time

Answer 2

vagrancy - vagrancy act 1824, clears streets of beggars however society has now accepted legitimate reasons for being homeless

homosexuality - illegal under sexual offences act 1967…. same sex legalised under marriage act of 2013

DOUBLE JEAPORDY LAW

Question 3

laws vary due to place

Answer 3

cannabis - illegal in england and wales (misuse of drugs act 1971) , legal in some states of USA

FGM - illegal in UK under female genital mutilation act 2003
legal in africa, middle east and connected to cultural reasons

Question 4

rule of law definition

Answer 4

everyone is subject to the law and that it should be applied equally to all

Question 5

laws applied differently due to circumstances in which they occur

Answer 5

age of criminal responsibility UK = 10
children under 10 cannot be arrested or charged for a crime
18 and over are trialed as an adult
children under 18 are trialed differently to adults

Question 6

examples of mitigating factors

Answer 6

psychiatric illness
loss of control
gross negligence

Question 7

describe typification study - chambliss (1973)

Answer 7

studied two groups of youths: saints (middle class), roughnecks (working class)
he found police enforce laws more harshly against working class

Question 8

piliavin and briar (1965)

Answer 8

found situational factors play a part in police decisions about stopping and arresting a person
individuals class, ethnicity, sex, attitude towards officer, day or night etc
two people could commit the same crime but one is more likely to be arrested than the other