AC1.1

    Cards (22)

    • Crime - breaks the law
    • When we talk about someone being a criminal what do we mean? Why is a crime a difficult concept to define?
      It means someone breaks the law. Its difficult to define as crime differs in different places ( it is legal to drink at 18 in the UK, however it is legal to drink at 21 in the US ), and culture (honour crime).
    • social definition of crime - an act that offends society
    • legal definition of crime - an act that break the law and removes the rights of another. This can be punished by imprisonment, a fine, or community service
    • For a crime to be committed, it requires two elements -
      • actus reus -guilty act (stabbing, shooting)
      • mens rea (guilty mind - not meaning to do it - slipping over and dropping a knife)
    • The variety of criminal acts
      • homicide - murder/mansalughter
      • property offences - theft, robbery,burglary
      • drug related offences - possession of class A drugs, driving under the influence
    • sanctions - The means of enforcing rules. Sanctions can be positive as well as negative. Positive sanctions are rewards given for conforming to norms. A promotion at work is a positive sanction for working hard. Negative sanctions are punishments for violating norms. Being arrested is a punishment for shoplifting. 
    • Formal sanctions are punishments delagated by the law. Those who could give formal sanctions are
      • police
      • the courts
      • traffic wardens
      • the council
    • Types of crimes
      • summary offences - Less serious offences
      Usually decided without a jury in a local court
      Less severe punishments (like fines community service, ect)
      Examples: traffic offences, public order offences
      • Indictable offenses
      Serious offences
      The descision is usually made by a jury
      The punishment is determined by the judge
      More severe punishments (like imprisonment or large fines)
      Examples: rape,murder,sexual assault
    • types of sanctions
      .
    • Social control - ' all sanctions, formal or informal, positive or negative, are forms of social control - that is, ways in which society seeks to control our behaviour and ensure that we conform to its norms and behave as others expect it to.' - Webb 
    • Social control exists to prevent negative deviance (deviance which can be damaging to others)
      1. Informal social control - this form of control is therefore based on the approval or disproval of these around us whose review of us we regard as important. Often through the family, friends, or work colleges
      2. Formal social control - organisations or systems that exercise rigid rules, ideologies and morals that we are often compelled to obey. For example, the legal system including the police and courts.
    • formal sanctions
      outside of court sanctions
      • cautions
      • conditional cautions
      • penalty notices
      court based sanctions
      • prison
      • community sentences
      • fines
    • Deviance - performing an act that society condemns 
      • Formally deviant
      • Informally deviant 
      Formal and informal sanctions  (punishment)
    • The social definition of crime is…​
      “An act that offends society.”
      However, what is society? It can differ as we don’t all have a shared agreement on what is wrong and what is right - Briton arrested at 18 case study.
    • Deviance
      Rule-breaking behavior of some kind which fails to conform to the norms and expectations of a particular society​
      “enacting morality” (Cromby, 2010)
    • Define the term social values and give an example.
       
      • Values are general principles or guidelines for how we should live our lives.​They tell us what is right and what is wrong; what is good and what is bad. For example, the values in one country may be different to another.
    • Define the term moral codes mores, and give one example.
       
      • Mores - are morals or 'good' ways of behaving. They are formed out of a persons core values. They are ideas that a culture would think of as too serious to break. For example, do not commit murder.
    • Moral codes
      • A set of basic rules, values and principles held by an indivdual,group,organisation or society
      • The police code of ethics is a written guide to the core principles and standards that officers are expected to uphold in their work
      • Moral codes can also come from religion
    • Norms are specific rules or socially accepted standards that govern peoples behaviour in particular situations.
      For example
      • Respect for human life
      • Accumulating personal wealth
      Norms are linked to values. For e.g. cultures that place a high value on respect for elders usually have norms on how elders are treated.
    • informal deviance refers to the fact than an individual may be slightly non conformist to the general trend of society; however, his/her/their behaviour does not constitute an illegal act. in criminology you will find lots of examples of informal deviance - such as dying hair green.
    • formal deviance describes an act committed by a person or group of persons that contravenes (goes against) the established laws of society. A formal deviant is therefore a criminal. Key examples of clear formal deviants are, Harold Shipman, Ted Bundy and Ian Huntley.