Week 1: Intro to the Sociology of Law Flashcards
What is Law?
Written body of general rules of conduct which are applicable to everyone n
What is Formal Law?
What people usually think about (codified)
What is Informal Law?
Ways of controlling peoples behavior (not illegal but carry negative social consequences)
What does Law look like in less advanced societies
Systems based on customs/traditions
As societies progress and become more complex….
So do the laws
What is Substantive Law
Administered by the courts
What is Procedural Law?
The rules and how they’re enforced
What is Public Law?
Concerned with structure of government (constitutional law)
What is Private Law?
It is both substantive and procedural rules between individuals (Tort, Family)
What is the Police of Canada Act (1868)
Created the 3 levels of Policing (Municipal, Provincial, Federal)
What is crime?
Conduct that is prohibited by law and subject to a penal sanction
What are the 3 principle functions of Law?
Social control, Dispute Settlement, Social Change
What are the 2 approaches to the study of rule making?
Consensus and Conflict
What is the consensus approach to the study of rule-making?
Laws represent the agreement of mostly of the people in society that certain acts should be prohibited by criminal law
What is the conflict approach to the study of rule-making?
Laws are passed by members of the ruling class in order to maintain their positions control over the common people
