AJ 2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Norm (Social), Social Stigma

• School: Irvine Valley College
• Department: Administration of Justice
• Course: AJ 2
• Professor: mauney

Document Summary

Deviance- any action that violates a social norm (positive or negative) Assault, murder, joining a cult, winning a nobel: a deviant act becomes a crime when it is deemed socially harmful or dangerous, that s specifically defines, prohibited, and punished under the criminal law. Consensus: the belief that the majority of citizens in a society share common values and agree on what behaviors should be defines as criminal. Conflict: the belief that criminal behavior is defined by those in power and criminality is defined in such a way as to protect their power. Interactionist: the belief that those with social power are able to impose their values on society as a whole and these values then define criminal behavior, consensus through conflict. A violation of societal rules of behavior as interpreted and expressed by the criminal law, which reflects public opinion, traditional values, and the viewpoint of people currently holding social and political power.