LAWS 2301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: False Consciousness, Restorative Justice
Document Summary
Consensus: law seen as reflection of those customs most strongly held in society. Law and legal procedure seen as instruments of dominant groups and only understood in the context of larger social relations (don"t need to know these) Consensus: act defined as criminal because they offend fundamental values of society. Persons labeled criminal because behaviour goes beyond tolerance limits of community. Poor more likely to arrested/convicted because they commit more crimes. Crime establishes tolerance limits & increases moral solidarity. Crime makes people aware of interests in common. Each society has set of agreed-upon rules & customs but criminals not properly socialized and rules not internalized. Critical: acts defined as criminal because it is in the interests of advantage groups. Persons labeled criminal because it is in the interests of advantaged groups to so label them. Poor more likely to be labeled criminal due to interests and power of adv groups.
