SOC205H5 Lecture 6: SOC205 Lecture 6
Document Summary
Focus on individual factors rooted in biological, psychological or social explanations: assume society is based on consensus, assumes social scientific work is value-neutral. Focus on definition of crime and the criminalization of behaviour. Focus on social relations that affect power and inequality: assume society is based on conflict, assume all research reflects power relations. Conflict theory is a derivative of marxist theory. Critical criminology is an umbrella terms that includes conflict and marxist criminology as well as radical left realism and feminist accounts of crime. Critical criminology includes labeling, feminist, marxist, poststructuralist, critical race. conflict theory assumes that society is based primarily on conflict between competing interests groups (for example, the rich against the poor, corporations against labour, etc. ) The (cid:498)carnival mirror(cid:499) thesis and social reality of crime. Positivist/consensus based approaches: law as a reflection of social norms and values. Criminal law reflects the reality of danger in society. Labeling/social constructionism: criminals defined as such by laws.
