JUST 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Antisocial Personality Disorder, Psychodynamics, Larceny
Document Summary
There are three views of why certain behaviors are illegal and why certain behaviors are legal. Crimes are behaviors that are harmful to the majority of citizens. These behaviors are defined in the law as crimes. These laws represent the norms, goals, and values of the vast majority of society. In other words, we as a society agree that these beha(cid:448)io(cid:396)s should (cid:271)e (cid:862)(cid:272)(cid:396)i(cid:373)i(cid:374)al(cid:863). Conflict view criminal law (i. e. , the definition of crime) is shaped and controlled by the ongoing class struggle between the rich and the poor. Criminal law is created and enforced by the ruling class(rich) as a means to controlling the behaviors of the non-pulling class(poor) The interactionist view holds that socially influential people develop and use the criminal law (i. e. , define what behaviors are criminal of noncriminal) to reflect their own views. Ex: (legalization of marijuana, same sex marriage, abortion)
