unit 2 social construction of criminality: time Flashcards
social construction of criminality: time
how has homosexuality changed overtime?
made a crime in 1885 - legalised in 1967 in england and wales between men over 21 in a private home, 18 in 1994, 16 in 2000
what is one reason?
wolfenden report: private acts between men over 21 be legalised in 1957
another reason?
campaigns: successful campaigns by homosexual law reform society, stonewall, and campaign for homosexual equality
another reason?
politicians: roy jenkins, home secretary, and others
final reason?
human rights: belief that the state has no right to control citizen’s private lives
how has drug laws changed overtime in portugal?
from 2001 possession became a civil offence if quantity less than 10 day personal supply
what is one reason?
revolution: in 1975 changed from dictatorship to democracy - increased openness led to influx in drugs
another reason?
public health: state sees drug use as a public health issue and focuses on harm reduction
another reason?
scale of the problem: sudden and rapid growth in the problem since 1975 - 1/100 of the population addicted by 1990’s
final reason?
economy: belief that new law would reduce costs of drug use by 18%
how has physical punishment changed overtime?
death penalty offences reduced until it remained for just murder and treason, capital punishment abolished in 1965, corporal punishment abolished in 1967
what is one reason?
human rights: capital punishment is a breach of the right to life
another reason?
miscarriages of justice: if a person is wrongfully found guilty and executed, nothing can be done to correct it
another reason?
not a deterrent: most murders are committed in the heat of the moment without thought of possible punishment
final reason?
decline in violence: norbert elias argues society ha undergone a civilising process in the last 500 years - physical punishment has been replaced by self-control
how has gun control laws changed ovetime?
following hungerford shooting in 1987 and dunblane in 1996 laws governing access to firearms were tightened. all handguns are now banned in the uk
what is one reason?
GCN campaign: set up by lawyers, academics, and parents of victims to campaign or tighter gun control laws
final reason?
snowdrop campaign: started by bereaved dunblane parents and their friends, organised a petition and collected 750,000 signatures calling for a change in the law
what is capital punishment?
execution by hanging
what is corporal punishments?
included flogging, birching, branding and being put in the stocks
how has laws relating to children changed overtime?
children today are seen as innocent and needing protection but they used to be treated the same as adults in work and by the law
children and work?
in 19th century young children worked - a series of factory acts gradually excluded them from the workplace
compulsory schooling?
introduced in 1880 ensured basic education and kept children out of the workplacer
child protection and on welfare?
2004 children act made child’s welfare fundamental principle underpinning the work of social services
children’s rights?
parent now have responsibilities rather than rights - UN convention on the child lays down basic rights for children
laws and policies that only apply to children?
such as minimum ages for a wide range of activities from sex to smoking reinforce the idea that children are different to adults and subject to different rules
