University:
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Course:
LAW 209 | Criminal Law
Academic year:

2023
Views:

391

Pages:

2
Author:

ilikemyicons0y5

Crime, deviance, and criminal law; Sutherland’s definition of criminology- the study of the making and breaking of laws and society’s reaction to the breaking of laws - Defining crime is not a straightforward task Deviance = 1) Circumstance 2) Place 3) Time Models of the law; Who defines crime? ● There are differing opinions within the field of criminology regarding how laws come to be ● Models of law = 1) Consensus 2) Conflict (class, group) Consensus Model of Law ● Emile durkheim- collective consciousness ● This model of law assumes that behavior is not relative - The idea that we all agree and know what is right and wrong Law’s functions; 1) Dispute resolution 2) Social control 3) Means to facilitate social change * can’t assume that everybody agrees on the same laws Class conflict model of law ● Rooted in the work of karl marx - Systems of capitalism - “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” ● This model of law assumes that the law is a reflection of conflict and that behavior is relative ● Assumes that the people who have the money make the laws ● Alludes that class is the only source of power and the only source of conflict Group Conflict (pluralist) model of law Pluralism is the idea that society is characterized by plurality/ diversity - The group conflict view addresses the major critique of the class conflict model - Focuses on all groups; including economic groups, like the class conflict model, but also all other groups such as race, gender, sexuality ect. ● This model assumes that law is a reflection of this conflict and that behavior is relative ● Also assumes Law is a prize awarded to those with power