...primary and secondary deviance. However, the usefulness of labelling theory can be criticised as they fail to explain why individuals commit primary deviance. The usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance will be explored. Labelling theory is useful in explaining crime and deviance as it distinguishes between primary and secondary deviance. Lemert (1972) makes this distinction, he argues primary deviance is a deviant act that has not been publicly labelled and has little or no significance, whereas secondary deviance is an act that gets a negative social reaction and consequently incurs a label. This implies that, as Item A states, that an action is criminal only when society views it as criminal. This is useful in explaining crime and deviance as it indicates how deviant acts can escalate from primary to secondary deviance and when this occurs how an individual is labelled and excluded from society. This progression is illustrated in Jock Young’s study of hippies who smoked recreationally, which only began as an act of primary deviance. They were then caught by the police and labelled ‘dirty hippies’; due to this negative label it began to affect their careers and families and thereafter led to deviancy amplification and consequently the adoption of deviant careers. This is also supported by Item A, as individuals are only labelled when their actions are...
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...and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of the role of the mass media in creating moral panics about crime and deviance. [21 marks] (35 minutes) The media is often held accountable for the exaggeration of crime and deviance, in order to create a ‘newsworthy’ story. According to Durkheim, the media plays a vital role to maintain society in what is considering socially acceptable thus reinforcing the norms and values that must remain. Similarly, he states all change is instigated by deviance therefore through the media addressing such issues on a national scale aims to increase the rate of social change. An example of this, is homosexuality in countries where such actions are illegal or heavily frowned upon. Therefore, such deviance according to Functionalists, when projected on a world scale, is seen as fundamental for social change and creating equality. However other perspectives would perceive this as the victimisation of people. Cohen’s work on Folk Devils and Moral panics directly highlights such issues. His study addresses the harsh challenges met by those with different norms, values and morals have to be accepted. The result was that this new group is outcasted in society and victimised for their different values. Similarly, Jock Young’s study of the Drug Takers was met with similar results. The ‘hippies’ used in a participant observation whilst using the drugs, was picked up by the media as criminal and deviant activity. Agents of social control such as the...
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...Obscenity, in terms, refers to, “any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time.” Derived from the Latin obscaena (offstage) a cognate of the Ancient Greek root skene, because some potentially offensive content, such as murder or sex, was depicted offstage in classical drama, the word can be used to indicate a strong moral repugnance. In other words, the word can also be said to mean “the character or quality of being obscene or an act, utterance, or item tending to corrupt the public morals by its indecency or lewdness.” Talking in legal terms, obscenity applies to anything offensive to morals and is often equated with the term Pornography. But Pornography is a more limited term, which refers to the erotic content of books, magazines,...
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...Student ID:5145400 SY3 CASE STUDY - True Crime or Moral Panic Crime and deviance is present is all societies and has been throughout generations, and there are differing explanations for their existence through the various sociological approaches. Functionalism views society as a system of connected parts. Emile Durkheim (1982) saw crime in society as a stable system based on value consensus, norms and values which a society has established. Durkheim saw the need for some crime as an inevitable, normal and even necessary part of that system, and although it can disrupt social stability, it also performs some positive functions. One of these positives is boundary maintenance, and how crime produces a reaction from society against the wrong-doer which in turn reinforces their commitment to the value consensus (historylearningsite.co.uk, 2009). Criticisms of Durkheim's view on crime is how he failed to explain how much deviance is needed for society to function, and that just because crime has a function, it doesn't mean society is creating crime for the purpose of that function. Even how this 'necessity' doesn’t feel right for the victims (Jones, 2014). Conflict theories such as Marxism disagree with functionalism about crime being necessary, but instead suggest it is an inequality between the ruling and working class. Although Marx did not talk at length about crime, he did believe that laws were codified. Where one class kept the other classes in check through policing...
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...MEDIA AND CRIME Introduction -With the growing urbanization (παγκοσμιοποίηση) it is necessary to rely on media to find out what has been happening in the world. As in the majority few people are vi ctims of serious crime, images of offending are formed in the majority of the people from the mass media! (MME) : newspapers, books, magazines, TV, radio, etc… Does Media have Legal Constraints? (Περιορισμοί)? Τhere is a difference between: • Broadcasting (μετάδωση): Section 6 of Broadcasting Acts requires impartiality (αντικειμενικότητα) in the reporting of news and political matters • But in the Press (εφημερίδα) there is no such a legal obligation! Written media can published more/less what it wants subject to the Law of Libel (δυσφήμιση) and some specific prohibitions. (example: Official Secret Act which prohibits press from publishing sensitive informations. Sources of the media’s information on crime • Police (The police still provide the bulk of the material in crime reporters. Because of their big influence manipulation (χειρισμός) of the media has now become a big part in policing!) • Home Office (Press Office) • The Legal Profession • The Prison Officer’s Association • Academics Selection of Crime News The journalist and editor play the central role as to how a story is formulated and presented in a newspaper! They select their stories in a subjective basis in accordance with the newspaper agenda! In his book “Law and Order News” Steve Ghibnall listed...
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...A moral panic is a feeling of fear spread among a large number of people that some evil threatens the well-being of society.[1][2] A Dictionary of Sociology defines a moral panic as "the process of arousing social concern over an issue – usually the work of moral entrepreneurs and the mass media."[3] The media are key players in the dissemination of moral indignation, even when they do not appear to be consciously engaged in crusading or muckraking. Simply reporting the facts can be enough to generate concern, anxiety, or panic.[4]:16 Examples include the belief in widespread abduction of children by predatory pedophiles,[5] belief in ritual abuse by satanic cults of women and children,[6] scaremongering of the spread of AIDS,[7] and the War on Drugs.[8] Contents [hide] 1 Use as a social science term 1.1 British vs American 2 Characteristics 3 Examples 3.1 2000s: Human trafficking 3.2 1990s–present: Sex offenders 3.3 1980s–1990s: Satanic ritual abuse 3.4 1980s–1990s: Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 1980s–present: AIDS 3.6 1970s–present: Video games and violence 3.7 1970s–present: Crime increase 3.8 1970s–present: War on drugs 4 Criticism 5 Other 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links Use as a social science term[edit] Marshall McLuhan gave the term academic treatment in his book Understanding Media, written in 1964.[9] According to Stanley Cohen, author of a sociological study about youth culture and media called Folk Devils and Moral Panics...
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...Mass Media: A platform to give strength to the weak or a loaded gun in the hands of humanity? “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth…because they control the minds of the masses” (Malcom X, 2012). Media has responsibilities and these responsibilities need to be clarified and upheld by society. Unfortunately, media today does not abide by moral standards, which in turn sends mixed messages to our society. Often times these messages are demoralizing, desensitizing, and false. Young people and adults alike are trying to navigate through their lives and through the world with a broken compass. The role media plays in issues such as self-worth, bullying, and suicide need to be addressed and revised. I will discuss media and its role and responsibility through the perspective of both a classical and contemporary ethical theory. The classical theory that will be discussed is virtue ethics, which is the study of the virtuous character of a person (Mosser, 2010, p.1.7). The contemporary theory that will be discussed is emotivism, which is basing one’s moral decisions on one’s feelings and emotions (Mosser, 2010, p.1.8). Concluding, I will discuss which theory is closer to my own personal view and why I chose that particular theory. While freedom of speech and personal connection are very important, age appropriate moral standards should be upheld in the media because media plays a significant role in suicide, bullying, and self-worth. According to Mosser (2010)...
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...authenticity. The film resists the traditional categories of good and evil. The duo act as they will and have their own ethical belief system and morals. For example, when Wayne Gayle asks Mickey how he could have brought himself to kill 52 innocent people? He answers – “who’s innocent?” then says “It's just murder man. All God's creatures do it in some form or other. I mean you look in the forest. You got species killing other species, our species killing all species including the forest and we just call it industry, not murder. But I know a lot of people who deserve to...
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...Mass Media: A platform to give strength to the weak or a loaded gun in the hands of humanity? “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth…because they control the minds of the masses” (Malcom X, 2012). Media has responsibilities and these responsibilities need to be clarified and upheld by society. Unfortunately, media today does not abide by moral standards, which in turn sends mixed messages to our society. Often times these messages are demoralizing, desensitizing, and false. Young people and adults alike are trying to navigate through their lives and through the world with a broken compass. The role media plays in issues such as self-worth, bullying, and suicide need to be addressed and revised. I will discuss media and its role and responsibility through the perspective of both a classical and contemporary ethical theory. The classical theory that will be discussed is virtue ethics, which is the study of the virtuous character of a person (Mosser, 2010, p.1.7). The contemporary theory that will be discussed is emotivism, which is basing one’s moral decisions on one’s feelings and emotions (Mosser, 2010, p.1.8). Concluding, I will discuss which theory is closer to my own personal view and why I chose that particular theory. While freedom of speech and personal connection are very important, age appropriate moral standards should be upheld in the media because media plays a significant role in suicide, bullying, and self-worth. According to Mosser...
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...Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that the mass media are a major cause of crime and deviance in today’s society. (21 marks) It could be argued that with some issues, the media plays a heavy role in influencing people to commit crime. Interactionist sociologists could argue that the media provide a form of database for imitation/copy cat crimes and from seeing these crimes the public are more likely to do them. In the media people are exposed to various types of crime, mainly violent and sexual and so might feel the want to copy these. For example, the copies of Jack the Ripper, the serial killer named the Zodiac or other serious crimes such as school shootings inspired by coverage of the Columbine shooting in America. Therefore it could be argued that the mass media which exposes these crimes to the population could cause these crimes, as they directly relate the crimes reported on. However it could be argued that these crimes which are reported as copy cat actually occur at a much lesser scale than we think. For instance these school shooings and serial killings do not happen as occasionally as might be thought. Although sociologists might argue that the main source of influence even for the small amount of crimes is the mainstream media which reported on them and exaggerated them in the first place. Meaning that media could be seen as a major cause of some crime in this aspect. Left realists argue that media is a major cause of crime also for the fact that it promotes...
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...Josh Woolf The ethical issues facing the media community today have been reverberating through the corridors of newsrooms and debating chambers since the communication of the news began. Either resonating from newspapers or radiating from radios and screens, the transmission vehicle of the news may have evolved but the ethical issues are still the same; the quest for truth and justice. The word ‘ethics’ involves right and wrong; a moral dilemma requires critically thinking through the issue, formulating an answer which results in making an ethical decision. The decision involving an intellectual process through moral reasoning ensures everyone, as moral agents, are able to be guarded from the views of others in respect to the dilemma at hand (Day, 2000, p.63) In confronting an ethical issue, a knowledge and understanding of ethical theories allows us to navigate through these complex situations and, in the end, creates the ideal environment for “the greatest happiness for all humankind, and equality for all” (Open Polytechnic, 2007, p.9). What would the iconic ethical theorists such as Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and Stuart Mill think of the world of communications today? Media conglomerates control media content and distribution which lock in the extent of diverse views and information. To obtain truth “is essential to the democratic process” but is reliant on an informed audience (Day, 2000, p.80). The dominance of media corporations today fire bombardments of triviality...
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...Abstract This assignment will define and discuss the ethical theory of Kantianism. Kantian ethics is based on abiding by moral laws that are universal for everyone. It allows us to rationalize our decisions based on our duty to do what is right. This assignment will also discuss how Kantianism represents my personal principles. Kantianism provides moral laws that provide a sense of equality for all people. There are also several arguments that are against Kantianism and will dispute the theory. But the overall goal of Kantianism is to ensure that every person is treated with respect. In addition, this assignment will discuss and defend my position on a contemporary IT issue using a practical ethical theory. Unit 1 Assignment 1 Ethical Theory-Kantian The ethical theory that I have chosen that best represents my personal principles is Kantianism. This theory was named after the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. According to Quinn, “Kant believed that people’s actions ought to be guided by moral laws, and that these moral laws were universal” (Quinn, 2013, para. 2). The universal law is the belief that everyone tries to do the right thing and be a rational person and therefore rational decisions can be applied to everyone in the world. Kantianism does not consider the consequences of the ethical issues to be important, rather it is based on what should be done or doing the right thing regardless of the consequences. Kant’s decision is based on the theory that nothing is...
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...Young (2011) indicates that mass media plays a vital role in moral panic situations. The three criteria that Young (2011) suggests to be central to moral panic include; the propagating and circulating of stereotypical images of deviance, reinforcing and building on people’s feelings of alarm and propelling or engaging in deviance amplification. A clear example of a moral panic that fits Young’s three criteria is the concept of ‘Islamophobia’. ‘Islamophobia’ is a broad term that allows for prejudice, hatred and fear toward Islam (Morgan 2014). This moral panic has resulted in distress for many Muslims who have been brushed with criminality and terrorist labels especially after the repercussion of 9/11 (Collins 2005). It is evident that following on from the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Islamic and Muslim culture has been a target in media speculation and have somewhat become ‘folk devils’ with many becoming subject to demonisation (Tottoli...
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...Assess sociological explanations of the role of the mass media in creating moral panics about crime and deviance: A moral panic is the process of arousing social concern over an issue, this is often an exaggerated over-reaction by society to a perceived problem, which is usually driven or inspired by the media. In this situation the reaction ends up amplifying the problem out of proportion to its real seriousness. This creates anxiety amongst the general population, and this therefore puts pressure on the agents of social control to deal with the problem, who then act accordingly to the group responsible for the panic. There is a strong relationship between mass media and crime. On average, around 30% of newspaper content is dedicated to crime, however it can be debated whether this news is true because the media exaggerate the truth in order to publish a newsworthy story. The mass media are heavily involved in creating moral panics about crime and deviance in society. According to Cohen, the mass media play a vital role in the societal reaction to crime and deviance. He suggests that moral panics have a number of stages, in which the media label certain groups, in order to maximise profit. Firstly, the media use exaggerated language and headlines when reporting on a particular event that has occurred and use follow-up articles, in which they identify this event as a social problem. Whereby ‘folk devils’ are created (Goode and Ben-Yehuda: 1994). Folk devils are over simplified...
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...Television and Media Violence – Affect on Children Exposure to Violent Television Causes Aggressive Behavior in Children Prepared for Mrs. Martha Jagel, Professor Rogers State University Prepared by Ashton Duncan, Student Rogers State University June 20th 2013 Television is the most powerful medium the world has ever seen. Never before has it been possible to communicate and so strongly influence millions of people at the same moment right in their own homes. But its misuse has been felonious, and society is paying an increasing price (Langone, 1984). Almost weekly the press carries some story about the harmful effects of television on children. Parent-teacher lobbyists wring their hands about the violence depicted on Saturday morning children''s programs. Nutritionists decry commercials that tout sugar-laden junk food to youngsters. Consumer advocates clamor against the deceptive marketing of children's toys. In Washington, D. C., politicians anxiously express their regrets, then turn to more pressing business (Landesman, 1995). This paper intends to address the behavioral effects that violent television has on children. Violence and television has been the subject of numerous controversial studies for the past thirty years. The most persistent questions have concerned aggressive, anti-social, or delinquent behavior and their link, if any, to violent television entertainment (Paik & Comstock, 1994). Numerous articles, written on almost...
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