CCJS 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Homicide

• School: University of Maryland
• Department: Criminology & Criminal Justice
• Course: CCJS 105
• Professor: Kiminori Nakamura

Document Summary

Crimes are defined as actions that threaten society"s survival. Everyone generally agrees that certain things should be crimes (treason, homicide, theft, etc. ) Laws reflect the values of everyone in society. Crimes are actions that threaten those in power. The ruling class defines laws in order to protect their power and control those without power. Laws reflect the values of the ruling class in society. The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles . Criminals are, the dangerous class, the social scum, that rotting mass thrown off by the lowest layers of the old society . Believed law was made to keep the ruling class in power, and to make sure people are held down by the law stay there. Third class of people are those who break the law, product of an unjust society, dangerous.