Sociology 2267A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Euthanasia, Royal Assent, Misdemeanor
17 May 2020
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4 di erent perspectives to look at crime: legalistic: Crime is human conduct in violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or a provincial or local jurisdiction that has the power to make such laws. Edward sutherland crimes essential characteristic is that it is behaviour which is prohibited by the state as an injury to the state and against which the state may react by punishment . This is why sociologists de ne crime as whatever society says it is". Criminalize: make something illegal: e. g. the criminalization of killing. Problem: legalistic perspective says that the nature of crime cannot be separated from the nature of law: some activities not yet contravened by statute (a formal written enactment of a legislative body) still call for societal response. In the past it was not written down, now it is. Euthanasia debate: changes in law are bound to happen (e. g. decriminalizing substances such as alcohol and weed, rodriguez:
