SOC 2600 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Salem Witch Trials, William Graham Sumner, Moral Panic
Document Summary
Salem witch trials 17th century boston, massachusetts; people were being accused of being witches and being tried and prosecuted; trials did not follow the legality that we have today. Crime as a social construction behaviors defined as crime are the result of beliefs, values, and intuitions of that society. What one culture sees as crime might not be seen as crime in another culture. What is crime today might not be seen as crime 100 years ago. Moral panic shared belief that a particular behavior is a significant threat to the well-being of the entire society. Norm expected behavior for a member of a group within a specific set of circumstances. Folkway unplanned but expected ways of behaving within any given culture. Much of human behavior is governed by informal rules beyond the codified criminal code. Norms for appropriate attire or behavior in given social settings. More important rules of conduct within a society which define right and wrong.
