CRIM 104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Montesquieu, Due Process, Fecundity
27 May 2018
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Lecture One Crim 104 !
Sociology is the study of: !
!•! ""Social relations- the way that individuals and groups relate to each other (governed or !
controlled by law and by CJS)
!•! ""Social forces- shape our political system, social system, laws, and CJS
!•! ""Social conduct- how we behave or conduct ourselves in our social relations
!•! ""Social conventions- norms or expectations- what people expect we will do. Some are !
informal, some formal
!•! ""Social constraints- can be formal or informal. Informal constraints (rejection, shunning,
or !
exclusion) formal social constraints (laws, the courts, police, prison system)
!•! ""Social institutions- (the CJS) largely modern creations, designed to constrain those who !
do not follow social convention
Is sociology really a science? !
● Sociology involves a respect for logical clarity in the formulation of theories and also
involves disciplined empirical investigation
Science empiricism and theory
!•! ""Science- the use of logical, systematic methods to produce a body of knowledge
!•! ""Empiricism- factual investigation and observation
!•! ""Theory- explains why things happen; help us make sense out of facts, through !
construction of abstract interpretation of empirical situations !
Problems of social science
!•! ""Studying humans and social behaviour is different than studying atoms, minerals, !
chemicals, or plant life
!•! ""Humans may be uncooperative or may consciously alter their behaviour when being !
studied
!•! ""Human behaviour can be quite complex, so so clear- cut cause- effect relationships may !
be difficult to pin down !
Sociology and criminology
!•! ""Sociology and criminology are highly interrelated
!•! ""Many of the ideas in criminology come from the field of sociology
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Social relations- the way that individuals and groups relate to each other (governed or controlled by law and by cjs) Social forces- shape our political system, social system, laws, and cjs. Social conduct- how we behave or conduct ourselves in our social relations. Social conventions- norms or expectations- what people expect we will do. Informal constraints (rejection, shunning, or exclusion) formal social constraints (laws, the courts, police, prison system) Social institutions- (the cjs) largely modern creations, designed to constrain those who do not follow social convention. Sociology involves a respect for logical clarity in the formulation of theories and also involves disciplined empirical investigation. Science- the use of logical, systematic methods to produce a body of knowledge. Theory- explains why things happen; help us make sense out of facts, through construction of abstract interpretation of empirical situations. Studying humans and social behaviour is different than studying atoms, minerals, chemicals, or plant life.
