SOCI 2520 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Impulsivity
8 Nov 2016
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Society must be concerned with providing the greatest good for the greatest number. People are motivated by pain and pleasure. The law must be rational, transparent, and just. People"s (cid:272)hoi(cid:272)es (cid:272)a(cid:374) (cid:271)e (cid:272)ontrolled by fear of punishment. Effectiveness of punishment depends on severity, certainty, and swiftness. Individuals give up some of their liberty in exchange for social protection (the social contract). To convince determined offender to commit a lesser crime. To prevent crime as cheaply as possible. Punish as little as necessary to deter crime. Urban conditions of unemployment and poverty undermine social institutions which normally control criminal behavior. Areas of high unemployment, single-parent families, dependence on social assistance, substandard housing, limited social amenities. Social institutions: have broken down, lack authority to control behavior. Internal pushes (personality): external pressures (poverty), external pulls (deviant peers). A positive self-image and ego strength counteract these forces. Social bonds constrain prevent some individuals from violating social norms.
