Summary
Contents
“The four authors of this concise volume provide an authoritative introduction to diverse key concepts about crime and its relationship to society. Each chapter starts with a definition (e.g., deviance, social control, normalization), providing readers with the vocabulary and conceptual framework for fully understanding chapter contents... a very good way to expose students and the public (and scholars from outside fields) to definitions, ideas, and theories of crime and society.” - K. Evans, Indiana State University, Choice Key Concepts in Crime and Society offers an authoritative introduction to key issues in the area of crime as it connects to society. By providing critical insight into the key issues within each concept as well as highlighted cross-references to other key concepts, students will be helped to grasp a clear understanding of each of the topics covered and how they relate to broader areas of crime and criminality. The book is divided into three parts: • Understanding Crime and Criminality: introduces topics such as the social construction of crime and deviance, social control, the fear of crime, poverty and exclusion, white collar crime, victims of crime, race/gender and crime. • Types of Crime and Criminality: explores examples including human trafficking, sex work, drug crime, environmental crime, cyber crime, war crime, terrorism, and interpersonal violence. • Responses to Crime: looks at areas such as crime and the media, policing, moral panics, deterrence, prisons and rehabilitation. The book provides an up-to-date, critical understanding on a wide range of crime related topics covering the major concepts students are likely to encounter within the fields of sociology, criminology and across the social sciences.
Deviance (Definition of)
Deviance (Definition of)
Definition: The traditional (normative) definition of deviance focuses on violations of social norms that are widely shared in society. In contrast, the relativistic or reactivist definition of deviance emphasises the importance of the social audience and its reaction to deviance.
The sociological study of deviance has focused largely on behaviours that violate legal norms (i.e. crime), as well as legal behaviours that are highly stigmatised or violate other social norms (e.g. eating disorders, self-harm, plagiarism, home schooling, exotic dancing). An insight into social norms is important for understanding the conceptual debates around deviance.
Social Norms
Social norms are present in all societies and help to reinforce social order by shaping the boundaries for appropriate conduct. Social norms refer to formal ...