Historical differences

1. Historical differences Learning objectives: To understand how crime has changed historically, both nationally and internationally

2. Explanation • Sociologists generally see deviance as being socially defined. This simply means, that depending on the time, culture and history, what is thought of, as right and wrong may be different form one place to another. • When looking at deviant behavior through historical evidence, it is obvious that it has changed over a period of time. The following examples clearly show this: • In the Victorian ages, it was considered okay by students, teachers and parents to hit children if they failed to comply with the rules of school, or misbehaved in any way. Nowadays, if a teacher hits a child they can be sent to prison because they have physically abused that child. • In America, historically it was deviant to drink alcohol during the 1920s. Nowadays, it is seen as perfectly ‘normal’ as long as it does not lead to violent or aggressive behavior.

3. Cross-cultural differences in crime • What is considered deviant in certain cultures can be seen as perfectly acceptable in other cultures, as the two examples below demonstrate: • The way the majority of women dress in Islamic countries, is accepted in Britain, but if a British women were to live in an Islamic country dressing as she normally would in England, she would be classified as dressing inappropriately. • It is not seen as acceptable for police officers in London to carry guns; however this culture is acceptable in America.

4. Can the same behaviour change according to time, place and culture Think about how these acts may be thought of as differently at different times in history, in different context and in different cultures. • Carrying a gun • Killing someone • Having sex • Taking drugs • Nudity • Breaking someone’s nose • Claiming to be a celebrity • Killing a burglar • Calling in ‘sick’ at work, when you are fine • Truanting

5. Tasks 1. What rules apply in your sociology lessons? Make a list, then mark which of them are written somewhere and which are not. Are these rules different from those in other lessons? 2. In Britain today, when, for whom and in what circumstances would the following not be deviant? • Carrying a gun • Driving over the speed limit • Taking drugs

6. Tasks • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiYqFXmVAFg 2. Prohibition was an attempt by the government to cut crime (the idea that drinking alcohol was strongly linked to crimes being committed). However, prohibition actually led to a greater amount of crime. Why do you think this is?