SOC101Y1 Chapter Notes -Actus Reus, Mens Rea, Labeling Theory
Document Summary
Studying crime and devience is studying norms, studying society"s expectations. Taking the boundaries of acceptability as an object of inquiry instead of taken for granted. Three big questions organizing the study of crime. Criminology combines elements from psychology (sometimes biology), law and sociology to study its substantive topic: crime. Sociology comes in and speaks to the role of the social" in understanding crime and deviance: The criminal code defines it as: the int"l violation of criminal law without defense and without excuse. Politicality: laws are enacted by the legislature, that is, people who are elected. Looking at what the legal/illegal is part of the political process. (social movements, lobbyists, and political groups will attempt to change laws, take them away or come up with new ones) Specificity: sets out, to the point, exactly what is a crime and what isn"t a crime.
