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  • 2024-09-18

SOC109 Lecture 5

• SOC 109 F24 - Lecture 5.pdf

• Coercion and Legitimacy

(SOC 109 F24 - Lecture 5, p.3)
Law is artificial

• Only through consequences does the law become real
• Law is made through us, because of the response to the current social situation.
  • If we change how society works, the law needs to change as well. Since the Societal Norms change as well.

(SOC 109 F24 - Lecture 5, p.3)
Law doesn't so much work against us as through us

• We don't need to like the law, to go along with it.

• Functionalist definition of law:

  • "but a response to social needs" (Hoebel, 1954).
  • Ex: When the camera was invented, laws about privacy and rights on images and how they can be used were then made.

• Teleological definition of law:

  • "the organization of human happiness" (Ward, 1906).

• Expressive definition of law;

  • "the function of law is sometimes 'making statements' as opposed to controlling behaviour directly" (Sunstein, 1996).

• Differences between before and after cannabis legalization

  • The changing with the law, changed a lot of society's thoughts about the topic.

(SOC 109 F24 - Lecture 5, p.8)
• Support for weed legalization increased from 49% to 78%
• Opposition shrank from 30% to 14%
• 65% of Canadians say they do not mind if restaurants put edibles on their menus

Legitimacy