PLURALISTIC CONFLICT THEORY

Primary Culture Conflicts

-Believed to occur at border areas during colonization. -Occurs one culture progress into several differing cultures that have their own unique cultural norm. -The law would not be of consensus and it would reflect the norms of the dominant group's culture.

George Vold

-Focus lies in the conflict among organized groups. -This process of group conflict is viewed as a process of constant adjustments that then attain a balance of forces or a social order. -Describes criminal behavior as, "minority power groups": groups that do not have the position or power to promote their own interests in the legislative system.

Austin Turk

-Proposed a model of criminalization describing the conditions and differences b/t authorities that result in conflict and under this conflict the conditions of criminalization occur. -Believed both the organization and sophistication of subjects and authorities that will affect the probability for conflict.

Thorton Sellin

-Proposed that homogonous societies these conduct norms are enacted into law and do actually represent a consensus. -However, in complex societies there are contradictions b/t conduct norms b/c of divergent cultural groups.

Underlying Assumptions

-The state is viewed as representing the interests of the individuals with sufficient power to control its operations. -The focus is removed from the actor and act itself to a focus on who is making the decisions mandating what is defined as a crime and why. -Assumes a pluralistic society where competing ideologies, norms, values, religion, ethnicity, fight for their interests, the winners are powerful decision makers.