Sociology studies human interaction from families to civilizations, with a focus on analyzing and applying sociological information to solve societal problems. The sociology of criminal justice evaluates factors leading to crime and tools to prevent and punish it, including cultural approaches and social debates. Sociologists study the roots of crime, including factors like dysfunctional family life and economic stress. Criminology and sociology are complementary disciplines, and criminal justice sociology is an important professional classification.
Sociology is the study of human interaction. Thus, all units in which humans conglomerate and interact are evaluated, from small families to entire civilizations. Analysis and application are key, the latter pertaining to how scientists can use the sociological information they gather to understand and solve real-world societal problems. Of all the problems a society faces, crime is one of the most prevalent. The sociology of criminal justice focuses on the confluence of factors leading to crime and the tools and systems that societies have devised to prevent and punish criminal activity.
The definition of exactly what actions constitute a crime differs from region to region and can transform over time. A historical approach to the sociology of criminal justice could evaluate the definition of crime in different societies. It might consider how these attitudes towards acceptable and unacceptable behavior reflect the values and beliefs of a particular group or civilization.
Societies create many institutions and systems, and one of the earliest indicators of a cohesive, organized group is a legal system. Cultural approaches to dealing with crime are as diverse as the cultures themselves. Criminal justice sociologists will often study and perhaps even help develop these systems. The difference between one society’s punitive legal system and another’s rehabilitation system might be of interest to a sociologist, for example. Several social debates have emerged from criminal justice systems, including the following: potential racial bias in arrests, the use of execution, the effectiveness of process-based systems, and the benefits of incarceration over medical treatments.
Crime can be used as a tool to understand sociology, but sociology can also be used to better understand crime. An important aspect of the sociology of criminal justice concerns the study of the roots of crime. Most researchers would agree that no single factor drives illegal activities, but several complex factors can contribute. For example, a sociologist might consider how a dysfunctional family life cripples an individual’s ability to interact with others in stable and healthy ways. Furthermore, social factors such as workplace conflicts, religious and political differences, and economic stress can become partial triggers for a variety of crimes ranging from theft to murder.
Criminology and sociology are often grouped together in academic and professional circles, demonstrating the complementarity of the two disciplines. Many higher education institutions even offer a certified criminal justice sociology degree program. Additionally, students often double or pair a major in one discipline with a minor in the other discipline. While individuals may pursue careers in sociology in subdivisions ranging from political sociology to family sociology, criminal justice sociology is one of the most important professional sociology classifications.
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