CCJ 3024 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Class Conflict, Social Forces, Mens Rea

• School: University of Florida
• Department: Sociology, Criminology and Law - Criminology
• Course: CCJ 3024
• Professor: Andrew Kuo

Document Summary

Most were quite accurate on the difference between criminal justice and criminology. Criminal justice: the actual system that deals with crime. Criminology: the study of criminal offending, its causes and impact on the victim and society. The justice system revolves around crime and the control of crime. There are three views of how and why some behaviors become illegal and are considered crimes whereas others remain noncriminal, and they are as follows: Consensus view: the majority of citizens in a society share common ideals and work toward a common good. Conflict view: the law is controlled by the rich and powerful who shape its content to ensure their continued economic domination of society. Crime is a violation of social rules of conduct, interpreted and expressed by a written criminal code, created by people holding social and political power. Its content may be influenced by prevailing public sentiments, historically developed moral beliefs, and the need to protect public safety.