SOC 1500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Left Realism, Symbolic Interactionism, Labeling Theory
24 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Humans act toward things on the basis of the meanings they ascribe those things. Meanings come from the social interaction one has with others. Meanings change as we try to make sense of the things we encounter. Explains how crime and deviance are de ned and how rule breaking is reacted to by those in power. Marx argued that capitalism would inevitably produce internal tensions that would lead to its own destruction. Emphasizes social, political,and economic inequality between social groups. Focus on con ict between powerful and less powerful classes. Criminologists should focus on rule makers, not just rule breakers. The state secures and maintains the interests of the economic elites. Two main causes of working street crime: relative deprivation: people are making comparisons between groups and identify possible injustices. Reactors: criminal justice system: decides what is and isn"t a crime, General public: react to crimes in different ways.
