SOC109 Theories
Difference between tort and crime
Torts arent just wrong they are harmful. Criminal law can bring prison time against offenders. Tort law can bring restitutions/damages
Life in a total institution
Inmates who violate the rules face discipline and degred. ceremonies. Constant surveillance, forced to cohabite, tightly scheduled time and admin. orders
Mass incarceration
Indigenous and black persons face the greatest harms of mass incarceration. Indigenous women make up 50% of all federally sentenced women
Why wouldnt a SA victim report the crime?
Not aware of their rights, victim may believe the courts will not take the case seriously, costs of criminal trial may be too high
Feminist criminology
Challenges central assumptions/stereotypes about womens involvments with crimes (V+0). Crim. research/theories were traditionally male focused, with little attention payed to women
Racialized disparities in policing
Data shows substantial disparities in police stops, charges, and arrests. Carding/street checks has proven to be a controversial issue in Canadian policing
Central beliefs of feminist crim.
Gender is not a natural fact, but a complex social, historical and cultural product. Women should be at the center of intellectual inquiry (not invisible or appendages to men)
Harms of racial profiling
Psychological trauma and social harms. Negative interactions with police can contribute to labelling. Labelling can contribute to deviance later in life
Racialization of crimes
Racialized people face 'over' and 'under' policing, including unequal protection of the law. Certain types of crimes are asociated with racialized groups
Inmate society + Cultural adaptations
Inmates develop subcultures and adaptations to life. Primary pains of imprisonment include loss of liberty, deprivation of autonomy, and deprivation of security
Race as a social construct
Certain characteristics/behaviours are assosiated with people based on their supposed 'race'. Has an enormous impact on the structure/functioning of contemp. society.
Consensus perspective on social order
Most people agree on norms and values. Law is an expression of the collective norms/values. Criminal justice system is focused on producing best outcomes for society. Breaking law is harm against society
Pluralist perspectives on social order
Modern society is characterized by a high degree of diversity and low levels of consensus on shared norms/values. Differences include divergent viewpoints on content of the law and how it should be applied.
Conflict perspectives on social control
Modern socities characterized by social conflict. Dominant/powerful groups are in conflict with marginalized/disadvantaged groups. Law serves the needs of the powerful few. Powerful uses law to control 'dangerous' (lower) groups
Multi-racial/Intersectional Feminist Theory
Social/gender relations are shaped by race, socio-economic status and sexuality. Experiences of all women in society are not equal. People experience both marginalization and oppression in different ways. The law, police, correctional system and the broader criminal justice system are both racialized and gendered
Critical Theory is...
Crime is based on a class conflict and structured inequalities of class society