SOC212H1 Lecture 9: soc212 lecture 9 june 14
Document Summary
The goal of social conflict theorists is to explain crime within economic and social contexts and to express the connections among social class, crime, and social control. Conflict theory: an approach that sees criminal behaviour as caused by economic inequality, and criminal law defined by those in power. Crime is social, lying within normal human behaviour. No act is immoral, rather, society makes it immoral because laws are always changing. Society is divided unequally because of the system of production. Law serves the will of the upper class. The economic system will intensify any personal disadvantage people have and increase their propensity to commit crime. Power relations: the unequal distribution of power produces conflict. People use power to shape public opinion, crime is in favour of those in power. ^ women make up a small chunk of overall police force. ^ visible minorities are underpaid, not a lot in policing or high profile jobs.
