Criminology Unit 2:
Criminological Theories
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, Sanctions Punishments against someone who breaks laws/norms and they depend on the
severity of the act.
Informal Sanctions When people are punished for not following social norms in an informal setting.
An example is a parent grounding their child.
Formal Sanctions When social norms are being enforced at a legal level (breaking the law.) An
example is imprisonment after committing a crime.
Examples of formal negative sanctions - recieveing a prison sentence
- being ordered to pay a fine
- community service
Examples of informal negative sanctions - a friend telling you off for speeding
- parents grounding a teenager for smoking underage
Social Construction A view that things such as crime have no 'objective reality' and are instead
constructed by society. What constitutes a crime tends to alter according to time,
culture and circumstances. Norms are the products of social construction.
Behaviour can vary in being normal or abnormal depending on the situation, time
and place. Therefore, both crime and deviance is relative.
How laws change from culture to culture Different cultures have different expectations of appropriate behaviour. What is a
crime in one culture is not in another. Particular difficulties can arise when a
person who has their origins in cultural background live in a different culture, but
prefer to retain their own cultural ideas of what is right or wrong
Examples of different laws between cultures - Female Genital Mutilation
- Bigamy
- Euthanasia
- Smacking children
- Drugs such as alcohol or cannabis
- Homosexuality
- Same-sex marriage
- Abortion
Culturally different laws which are legal in the UK - Smacking children
- Homosexuality
- Same-sex marriage
- Abortion
Culturally different laws which are illegal in the UK - Female Genital Mutilation
- Bigamy
- Euthanasia
- Drugs such as cannabis
How laws change over time The definition of crime changes to reflect society's changing norms and values.
We can gain insight into the socially constructed nature of crime by looking at
how the treatment of certain behaviours varies over time. The 1960s in Britain are
often refered to as the 'permissive age'. This was intended to convey what was
perceived to be the general loosening of moral codes in the period. It was also a
time when a series of liberalising laws were passed.
Criminological Theories
2026 | Study Guide,
Questions & Answers
|Graded A+ | Guaranteed
success|
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
, Sanctions Punishments against someone who breaks laws/norms and they depend on the
severity of the act.
Informal Sanctions When people are punished for not following social norms in an informal setting.
An example is a parent grounding their child.
Formal Sanctions When social norms are being enforced at a legal level (breaking the law.) An
example is imprisonment after committing a crime.
Examples of formal negative sanctions - recieveing a prison sentence
- being ordered to pay a fine
- community service
Examples of informal negative sanctions - a friend telling you off for speeding
- parents grounding a teenager for smoking underage
Social Construction A view that things such as crime have no 'objective reality' and are instead
constructed by society. What constitutes a crime tends to alter according to time,
culture and circumstances. Norms are the products of social construction.
Behaviour can vary in being normal or abnormal depending on the situation, time
and place. Therefore, both crime and deviance is relative.
How laws change from culture to culture Different cultures have different expectations of appropriate behaviour. What is a
crime in one culture is not in another. Particular difficulties can arise when a
person who has their origins in cultural background live in a different culture, but
prefer to retain their own cultural ideas of what is right or wrong
Examples of different laws between cultures - Female Genital Mutilation
- Bigamy
- Euthanasia
- Smacking children
- Drugs such as alcohol or cannabis
- Homosexuality
- Same-sex marriage
- Abortion
Culturally different laws which are legal in the UK - Smacking children
- Homosexuality
- Same-sex marriage
- Abortion
Culturally different laws which are illegal in the UK - Female Genital Mutilation
- Bigamy
- Euthanasia
- Drugs such as cannabis
How laws change over time The definition of crime changes to reflect society's changing norms and values.
We can gain insight into the socially constructed nature of crime by looking at
how the treatment of certain behaviours varies over time. The 1960s in Britain are
often refered to as the 'permissive age'. This was intended to convey what was
perceived to be the general loosening of moral codes in the period. It was also a
time when a series of liberalising laws were passed.
