SOC 2700 Chapter Notes -Dynamic Equilibrium, Social Control
Document Summary
Consensus theorists place a consensus of values at the very center of human societies, a shared beliefs about what is good, right, just, important or at least excusable. Con ict theorists place con icts of interests at the very center of human societies, competitions over money, status and power. Beliefs about goodness and righteousness and justice tends to be thin lms that conceal personal gains and losses, personal costs and bene ts. The organized state does not represent common interests, but instead represents the interests of those with suf cient power to control its operation. More powerful people are legally freer to pursue self-interests, while less powerful people who pursue self-interests are more likely to be of cially de ned and processed as criminal. Sellin focused on the conduct norms , which are cultural rules that require certain types of people to act in certain ways in certain circumstances.
