SOC 2230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: General Strain Theory, Burglary, Juvenile Delinquency

• School: University of Virginia
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2230
• Professor: Mc Connell Bob

Document Summary

Sociology: theories interested in explaining the general instead of the individual. (want to explain as much as possible) our research questions come from societal concerns. Thomas aquinas; natural law: a just and right order could be observable in nature. Nature is just and right: combined this with christianity, man is made by god to be good . **side note, preclassical: god was the ruler (king/queen), so breaking law was acting against god, punishment was uncompromising and moral, and in public, sometimes cruel. 17th c- thomas hobbes: imagined what people would be like in nature. Concluded unlike aquinas, humans are selfish bellum omnium contra omnes. So how do we keep society from tearing itself apart: hobbesian theory- social contract in interest of individual self- preservation. Cesare beccaria-invented classical crim: the time"s social and economic changes made this classical school. System of mecantalism developing: state-sponsored trading giving people rights to trade in their colonies.