SOC 103 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Social Control, Basic Belief, Social Inequality

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 103
• Professor: Tonya Davidson

Document Summary

Criminologists who adopt a sociological approach focus on the societal context within which criminal law is created and applied: focus on explanations of crime that consider societal factors poverty and discrimination. Criminology- the study of crime causation, crime prevention, and the punishment and rehabilitation of offenders. Sociology of law- subdiscipline of sociology as well as an approach within the field of legal studies that looks at how the law and the justice system are socially constructed. Rule of law- constitutional principle that no person is above the law and that state power should not be exercised arbitrarily. Interest in examining the law from a sociological perspective grew after the 2nd world war. 1960 studied social conflict and social inequality: gap existed between the ideals of the law and the reality of the legal system way. Defining crime and deviance was not applied uniformly to all citizens. Crime- behaviors and actions requiring social control and social interventions, codified in law.