Crime and Deviance
What causes crime and deviance in society, biological or social factors?
Definitions of crime and deviance would change according to time, place, situation and culture, as what is acceptable in one would be unacceptable in another. Crime would entail the breaking of the law according to time and place, deviance would be an action that is unacceptable to the majority within the time and place, but both can alter during time, place, culture and social norms including religion. One example of crime would be where a person has broken the law of the land, and has to be tried by a court of law in order to be punished accordingly. In Britain murder would merit a life imprisonment, but in other parts of the world it could merit a different sentence such as, the death sentence or the family would pay compensation (blood money). This range of difference in punishment is subject to the law set according, to the given societies and cultures of the land where the crime was committed, which justifies official intervention. Hooliganism borders both on crime and deviance, joy riders are breaking the law by stealing cars, but a graffiti artist who are defacing public property are seen by some to be talented artists, yet both actions are breaking the law but the majority who are disapproving are the less for the graffiti artist. Therefore the time, place and situation has made graffiti more publicly acceptable.
Deviance is an action that is not acceptable behaviour to the majority of people, breaking “rules” of society which can also infringe into the laws of the land. Such as hooliganism but this is often seen more as non compliance within social norms. An example would be homosexuality which has changed over time, as pre 1969 this was a criminal offence. In Britain and in 1994 the age of consent was reduced to aged 18yrs from 21yrs this only includes males, as females are entitled to participate in same sex relationships from the age of 16. This also changes with
Definitions of crime and deviance would change according to time, place, situation and culture, as what is acceptable in one would be unacceptable in another. Crime would entail the breaking of the law according to time and place, deviance would be an action that is unacceptable to the majority within the time and place, but both can alter during time, place, culture and social norms including religion. One example of crime would be where a person has broken the law of the land, and has to be tried by a court of law in order to be punished accordingly. In Britain murder would merit a life imprisonment, but in other parts of the world it could merit a different sentence such as, the death sentence or the family would pay compensation (blood money). This range of difference in punishment is subject to the law set according, to the given societies and cultures of the land where the crime was committed, which justifies official intervention. Hooliganism borders both on crime and deviance, joy riders are breaking the law by stealing cars, but a graffiti artist who are defacing public property are seen by some to be talented artists, yet both actions are breaking the law but the majority who are disapproving are the less for the graffiti artist. Therefore the time, place and situation has made graffiti more publicly acceptable.
Deviance is an action that is not acceptable behaviour to the majority of people, breaking “rules” of society which can also infringe into the laws of the land. Such as hooliganism but this is often seen more as non compliance within social norms. An example would be homosexuality which has changed over time, as pre 1969 this was a criminal offence. In Britain and in 1994 the age of consent was reduced to aged 18yrs from 21yrs this only includes males, as females are entitled to participate in same sex relationships from the age of 16. This also changes with
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