Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
The Social Organization of Juvenile Justice (1968) by Aaron V. Cicourel is a groundbreaking study that reveals how juvenile delinquency is socially constructed within the everyday practices of legal and welfare institutions. Rooted in the traditions of ethnomethodology and symbolic interactionism, Cicourel demonstrates that youth crime is not an objective reality but the product of
Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates by Erving Goffman is one of the most influential sociological works of the 20th century. Originally published in 1961, the book presents a powerful analysis of psychiatric hospitals and similar institutions, which Goffman defines as total institutions. These settings, according to Goffman, profoundly
Being Mentally Ill by Thomas J. Scheff is considered a key contribution to labelling theory and the sociology of mental deviance. Building on the theoretical insights of Howard S. Becker and Erving Goffman, Scheff argues that “mental illness” is not (only) a biologically or medically defined condition, but is significantly shaped by social processes of
Goffman’s Perspective: From Visible Deviance to Social Exclusion In Stigma, Erving Goffman explores the mechanisms by which societies mark individuals whose appearance, behavior, or background is considered deviant from social norms. A stigma is not an inherent attribute, but rather a social judgment that is ascribed to a person. Physical stigmas (e.g., visible disabilities) Character-related
Punishment and Social Structure by Georg Rusche and Otto Kirchheimer is considered a groundbreaking work of critical criminology. First published in 1939, it argues that penal systems do not merely follow moral or legal principles but are shaped primarily by economic structures and power relations. The authors analyze the historical development of punishment in relation
Introduction Norms and values are foundational concepts in sociology, describing the shared rules, expectations, and moral ideals that guide behavior in society. Values explain what is considered good or desirable, while norms specify how to act in given situations. Together, they shape social order, cohesion, and cultural change. Understanding their definitions, types, and real-world examples