SOC100H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Infidelity, Burping, Moral Panic

• School: UTSG
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC100H1
• Professor: Rachel La Touche

Document Summary

Deviance: a relational concept, it defines behavior on the basis of existing rules. When we say something is deviant we are talking about distancing. The greater distance between someone"s behavior and existing rules, the more likely we are to label it deviant. The level of deviance is an indicator of social order/structure. Relates to whether or not it can be used as defense of criminal behavior. Crime is socially constructed (changes over time and place) Social (dis)organization: the level of (dis)organization may transform behavior into. We cannot underestimate power of interest groups in shifting emphasis from one social issue to another (and as a result to shaping criminal law). Crime: any deviant behavior that breaks criminal laws in a given society. Crime has consequences for people"s health, safety, and general well-being. Incidence: the range of occurrence of new cases. Prevalence: the proportion of cases in the population at a given time. Inequality: further apart people are from one another.