crime, deviance and society

• in law, a crime is a norm or set of norms backed up by the threat of societal sanctions. can vary between cultures, place, and time. it is a social construct
• criminal law is malleable and can evolve to keep pace with societal change. but the powerful within a state may use law to protect their own interests
• deviance is behaviour that is against social norm, but it is not necessarily illegal
• durkheim- deviance is normal and necessary part of people living together in social groups. a certain amount of deviance is needed for a healthy society and social change
• Mill- any activity should be legal unless is harms others
• Duff- just because something is harmful, does not mean it should be criminalised e.g. going to work with a cold
• Case 2021- behaviours become controlled through the criminal law because a society wants to control them
• crime changes over time, e.g. revenge porn became a crime in 2015.