1. Sociology and The Law

2. What is Law? ● A system of rules and guidelines created and enforced by a common authoritative power. ● Laws are meant to control or change behavior. ● Laws are meant to improve the overall welfare of the general population, while also sustaining the society which created them. ● Common laws help to settle disputes, ensure safety, and provide an overall structure to the society that creates them.

3. Functionalist ● Functionalists mainly study how crime relates to law, and believe that it is a necessary part of a society. ● Crime provides career opportunities for many people (ex: Police, Lawyers, Jail Wardens, Court Workers) ● Crime can drive social change, such as in the case of a rising number of juvenile violence cases, possibly providing the creation of new programs to put emphasis on parenting skills, school security, or systematic counselor visits. ● If there is too much crime, society is not in a state of well-being, possibly prompting a revolution. After there is new power, new laws would be put in place that society can agree with.

4. Conflict ● Conflict theorists believe that crime is the act of social and economic forces working with each other. ● The criminal justice system is run for profit by the rich and elite, creating laws that benefit the upper class. (ex: Petty crimes sentenced severely, whereas large scale financial and organizational crimes are treated more leniently.) ● Middle class citizens tend to side with these changes subconsciously hoping that one day they will reap these benefits. ● The victims of the criminal justice system are the lower class, having legal rights diminished or ignored.

5. International ● There are certain commonly held beliefs on human rights, dictated by the United Nations. (ex: Genocide, Privacy, Disability, Youth Violence) ● World powers come together to discuss the carrying out of international law, usually leading to conflicting opinions. ● Should we be the World Police? Should we dictate what is moral without respect to custom and tradition? ● Should we focus solely on our nation? Should we solve our internal issues before pursuing the welfare of other countries?

6. Bibliography ● http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/just/02.html http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/just/02.html ● http://criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/week7.htm http://criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/week7.htm ● http://criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/conflict.htm http://criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/conflict.htm ● http://www.un.org/en/rights/ http://www.un.org/en/rights/ ● http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=18 23702 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=18 23702 ● http://www.sociology.org.uk/devtint1.htm http://www.sociology.org.uk/devtint1.htm ● http://criminologycareers.about.com/od/Criminology_B asics/a/What-is-criminal-justice.htm http://criminologycareers.about.com/od/Criminology_B asics/a/What-is-criminal-justice.htm ● http://sociology.about.com/od/O_Index/g/Organized- Crime.htm http://sociology.about.com/od/O_Index/g/Organized- Crime.htm