CC100 Lecture 2: Non-sociological Explanations
Document Summary
Concepts: building blocks: point to aspects of reality and allow us to symbolize it. Variables (sociology: way of looking at concepts, can be counted, measured, observed, predictor or explanatory (independent) Males commit more crime than females: response or outcome (dependent) Hypothesis: how variables differ in relationship other variables. Tuesday, january 16, 2018: objectivist (consensus) approach, positivist. Differs between criminals and non-criminals: as individual attribute (inherent, behaviour classified as right or wrong. Conform or deviate (different of you do: consensus (absolutist view) No questions or grey ares: focus on causation. What"s the cause of crime: crimes. Murder, rape: subjectivist (conflict) approach, label of crime. Without written law it isn"t a crime. Someone has to determine criminal behaviour: as subjective experience, as voluntary act. Deterministic: power in creation and enforcement of law. Non-scientific explanations (origins: myths and legends: supported by religion (moral tales, contemporary urban legends, demonic perspective. Tempted or possessed by a demonic presence: witch craze, modern witch hunts.
