Why laws differ between cultures

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Created by
Emi

Cards (5)

  • What might influence cultural views on crime?:
    • religion- what does it teach
    • Environment- is there’s something about the land around that makes them criminal
    • Tradition- Ideas that have been passed down through generations
  • Issue: Polygamy
    Where it’s a crime: Many muslim countries, Turkey, Tunisia, UK
    Where its legal: legal in 58 countries, Himalayas, muslim-majority countries
    Reason why the law varies:
    • Religion- the Qur‘an permits muslim men to take up to 4 wives. Mormon Church in the USA practiced polygamy until 1890
    • Tradition- Polygamy has been traditionally practiced in some african societies thought it has declined sharply in recent years.
  • Issue: Adultery
    Where it’s a crime: Muslim majority countries, Christian majority countries, Taiwan, 21 US states
    Where its legal: UK, India
    Reason why the law varies:
    • Religion- most religions condemn adultery as not committing is one of the 10 commandments.
    • Position of women- Laws against adultery are often found in societies where women occupy a very ordinate position, usually in society the adultery laws themselves are unequal
  • Issue: Homosexuality
    Where it’s a crime: Illegal in 72 countries, 45 countries made lesbian relationships illegal.
    Where its legal: UK, Europe, North + South America
    Reason why the law varies:
    • Religion- Many religions including Christianity, Islam and Judaism have traditionally condemned homosexuality. Secular societies’ social norms are more tolerant of sexual diversity.
    • Public Opinion- 95% of people in Egypt believed homosexuality should be rejected.
    • Sexism- The fact that male homosexuality is a crime in more countries than lesbianism is may be due to sexist assumptions by male lawmakers
  • Issue: Cannabis
    Where it’s a crime: UK, European Countries
    Where its legal: Canada, Uruguay, Portugal
    Reason why the law varies:
    • Different norms and values- differences in law on cannabis to some extent reflect differences in norms, values and attitudes between societies
    • Different ideas about how to best control drug use- lawmakers in some societies take the view that the best way to prevent drugs causing harm.