SOCL 2001 Chapter : Chapter 7 Part 1 And 2
Document Summary
Chapter 7 part 1: deviance, crime and the criminal justice system. Deviance: traits or behaviors that violate expected rules or norms: normally seen negative, sociologists look, understand and explain, universal. Characteristics of deviance can be trait, behavior or belief. Accomplished by social stigma a negative label that devalues a persona nd changes her or his self- concept and social identity. Can be formal or informal: formal is against the law, informal is merely inappropriate. Crime and criminologists crime: a violation of societal norms and rules written into public laws that is subject to punishment criminologists: researchers who use scientific methods to study the nature, extent, cause and control. Uniform crime report crimes reported to the police and arrests. Benefit: recorded since 1930, allows analysis over time. Weaknesses: doesn"t include federal offenses, capture unreported crimes. Victimization surveys interviewing people about their experiences: the national crime victimization survey. 88% of reported crimes are property crimes.
