SOC102H1 Lecture Notes - Counterculture, Anomie, Restorative Justice
Document Summary
Crime and deviance: consequences of inequality 11/27/2012 4:10:00 pm. There is no known society that did not have crime. Belonging to a gang is belonging to a deviant subculture. Robert merton"s theory of anomie **** he sees crime as innovation. Sociologists view crime as a result of deviant learning via imitation. Criminal law attaches moral responsibility (blame) to people"s behaviour . Socially constructing a difference that isn"t there. Rob ford"s removal from office was essentially a narrative of blame. Some laws are about the $ amount stolen. Some laws offer the police and judges discretion. People need to have confidence in the law. If people don"t have confidence they are likely to take the law into their own hands. One purpose of law enforcement is to create confidence in them income inequality is related to trust and confidence in public institutions can also make people distrust one another, fear victimization.
