...Policy Issues Paper CJA/314 Instructor: Eric McBride March 14, 2013 By: Robert Alcocer Domestic Violence is a severe crime that is now not tolerated in California or other states in the United States. Domestic Violence in California is classified as a Misdemeanor crime if the victim has no visible injuries, and a felony if the victim does have visible injuries. Domestic Violence victims suffer significantly, but the people that suffer the most are children who witness or hear the incident. Children grow up thinking that it is fine to hit their spouse, yell, or scream obscenities to their spouse because they grew up watching their parents constantly fighting and yelling at each other. The topic of children exposure to Domestic Violence is definitely a personal crime. The reason why this video is a personal crime is because whether the husband or wife initiate the crime of Domestic Violence, it is always personal towards that person. Their is no property crime because they are not fighting over a belonging, or husband did not take anything away from the wife, the crime is just personal whether it is from dinner not served and ready, or simply unable to get along. Some of the causal factors that were addressed in the video of children exposure to Domestic Violence were...
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...Theory and Crime Kira Young CJA/314 April 30, 2012 Dave Hart Theory and Crime In today’s society there are many ups and downs when it comes to employment, where we live, and the way that we raise our children. The individuals who make up our communities today come from all walks of life, and are sometimes easily influenced by what happens within the community around them. There are often influences around us that help us make decisions that we would not normally make on our own, and this could change our way of thinking on certain issues that may arise in everyday life. Some of these decisions can make it hard to raise a child on the same morals and values that a parent grew up on. While it may be hard to raise a child, and believe in ourselves when times are hard we all have to have the belief that this too shall pass. The Meaning of Social Structure Theory By definition social structure theory is a theory that explains crime by reference to the economic and social arrangements in society, (Schmalleger 2012). There is still further explanation needed as to what this says for those communities that are within grasp of a person. The city that a person lives in has a lot to say as to the job they hold, where they send their child to school, the home in which they live, and the way they conduct themselves on a day to day basis. This is by no means a bad way of living or anything of that nature. Often humans are creatures of habit; we do the...
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...There are three main sociological perspectives: Structural Functionalism, Conflict/ Critical Theory, and Symbolic Theory. The group takes a characteristic of independence of their members (the whole is greater than the sum of its parts). They also focus on behavioral patterns of groups, such as difference of race, sex, age, class, and so on. Also, the gains of the individual through how they perceived by society. In this essay, the writer will illustrate the differences between these perspectives and will also provide their different approaches to the society, and why the choice of perspective matters. In structural Functionalism by Durkheim, views society a combination of institutions, or function, to equate societal stability and harmony....
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...Victimization Theory | Summarize the theory of victimization, describing its meaning and core concepts as it relates to the nature of crime. | Identify subcategories of the theory and describe each. | Apply the theory to one (1) real life example or scenario. Briefly explain why the theory applies to the example you identified. | Rational Choice Theory (This theory is completed for you as an example of how to complete the remaining theories) | According to this theory, crime is a matter of personal choice and the criminal makes a rational decision to commit the crime. This view is that If a person is motivated, considers the choices, and they believe crime will benefit them without risk. (Siegel & Worrall, 2013, p. 45)This view is that for the criminal, the profit outweighs the punishment. | One sub-category is the “Deterrence Theory” which aligns itself by indicating crime would not be a “rational choice” therefore not chosen if there was a strong enough fear of punishment, acting to deter the criminal activity. (Akers, 1990, p.2) | One real life case was that of Ariel Castro. This is the nationally televised case of a man who kidnapped and held three (3) women captive in his Cleveland, Ohio home for over 10 years, during which he physically and sexually assaulted, fathered a child and kept these young women captive until one managed to escape 2013. Castro pleaded guilty to 937 counts including murder, rape, and abduction, to avoid Ohio’s death penalty. He was sentenced...
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...Social Structure Theory Steven Horton University of Phoenix CJA/314 January 20, 2012 Maxine Craig Abstract The following paper will be based on the theory of social structure from the writers’ perspective. The paper can be considered as bias as it is based on personal opinions and situations of the writer. But it will touch on some of the questions that are asked to people who commit crimes repetitively. There are reasons that people become repeat offenders and career criminals and this paper should touch on some of the reasons why. Hopefully after reading this paper the reader will have a better understanding of how a person can commit crimes in repetition. Social Structure Theory There were several scenarios given in this weeks’ lesson but one in particular caught my attention. This man named Lucas, had entered someone’s house and pulled out a gun. He began creeping up the stairs where he had heard a noise coming from the bedroom. When he entered the room, a man and a woman were in the act of sexual relations so he aimed his gun and shot them both point blank. Next he grabbed his phone and called the man’s wife and told her that he had killed her husband and that she better have his money or she would be next. There was a bio about Lucas which basically said that he had been involved in crime since a juvenile and had joined a gang at a younger age. They ended it with the saying that he was on a path of criminal involvement. The theory of Social Structure states...
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...Victimization Theory | Summarize the theory of victimization, describing its meaning and core concepts as it relates to the nature of crime. | Identify subcategories of the theory and describe each. | Apply the theory to one (1) real life example or scenario. Briefly explain why the theory applies to the example you identified. | Social Structure Theory | According to this theory, a persons position in the social structure controls his or her behavior. Those in the lowest socioeconomic tier are more likely to succumb to crime promoting elements in their environment, whereas those in the higher tier enjoy social and economic advantages that insulate them from crime producing forces. The view is that about 40 million Americans live below the poverty line, and because of their financial position most living in poverty face obstacles such as inadequate health care, substandard housing, unemployment , and poor educational opportunities which are all factors of despair and these indicators of neighborhood disorder are highly predictive of crime rates.(Siegel & Worrall, 2013, p.48} | One sub category is the “ Cultural Deviance Theory”, because of strain and social isolation a unique lower class has developed in disorganized poverty ridden neighborhoods. These subcultures maintain a unique set of values that are in conflict...
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...world-wide organisation based on local groups and communities. As such it has many parallels with the political structure of our world. Although the Discourse of the first founding book, 'Foundations', makes it clear that the Society cannot replace, and therefore should not seek to supplant, those political institutions, it does not go on to discuss the relationship between the two. It is as well to take the opportunity to make some comment on that question in these Essays. If neglected it may provide a fertile source for conflict and misunderstanding. The potential for conflict arises from an overlap between the area of interest of the Society and that of politicians. Both politicians and the Society have an abiding concern with the structure of our social order, in how we maintain stable co-operative social relationships and cope with the problems of balancing group and individual interests; long and short term objectives; order and liberty, and the host of other conflicts which the communal habits of our species generate. However, the shared interest of the Society and politicians can never result in their developing a common view of these problems, because they approach that shared ground from totally different directions. The emergence of the Aim, Duty and Responsibility of the Society owes nothing to the political ambition to reform or restructure our social relations. Those three statements are solely an attempt to set out a meaning and purpose of our lives that does...
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...Criminal Justice YourFirstName YourLastName University title Social Structure Theory An alternate perspective is that the premise of crime can be found in the relationship an individual needs to social structures and foundations. As indicated by social structure theory, the United States is a stratified society, where there are a couple of thousand "super rich" making more than $5 million every year, and 40 million Americans who live underneath the neediness line, ascertained at about $22,000 every year for a group of four. Those living in neediness confront deadlock employments, unemployment, and social disappointment. On account of their small monetary assets, lower-class nationals are regularly compelled to live in poor zones checked by substandard lodging, deficient health awareness, and tenants as opposed to property holders, poor instructive open doors, underemployment, and sadness (Crothers, 2013). These markers of neighborhood disorder are exceedingly prescient of crime rates. The issues of lower-class society are especially intense for racial and ethnic minorities, who have a salary level altogether underneath that of whites and an unemployment rate just about twice as high. In the inward urban communities, more than a large portion of all dark men don't complete secondary school. Also, they confront the load of bigotry and racial stereotyping. Examination demonstrates that whites are unwilling to living in or going by dark neighborhoods...
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...Social Structure Theory CJA/314 Social Structure Crime and what it means to us today, in order to explain the meaning of crime and the role it plays in society, we must first examine what crime is and what it means to us as individuals, groups, family units, and everything in between. When examining our social structure we must first consider what constitutes right from wrong. We must try and answer the question, is there really such a thing as an absolute right or wrong? If so, who decides what’s right vs. wrong, and can anything we do or say against another be held against us? In order to try and find the answers to these simple questions we must understand the essences of the term crime. According to the dictionary, crime is an act or action of a negligence nature that is deemed harmful or hurtful to the public, be it voluntary or involuntary, as in the case of a drunk driver hitting an innocent bystander could possible end in manslaughter charges being leveled against the drunk driver. Because the drivers actions could have caused serious or even deadly consequences for the victim who was hit while standing on a corner, crossing a street, or on his way home from a long hard day’s work, even if the driver does not leave the scene of the incident, because the action was negligence in nature and could have been detrimental to the victim, this could be considered a crime. Another example of wrongdoing or sinful actions would be that of a person, committing...
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...world-wide organisation based on local groups and communities. As such it has many parallels with the political structure of our world. Although the Discourse of the first founding book, 'Foundations', makes it clear that the Society cannot replace, and therefore should not seek to supplant, those political institutions, it does not go on to discuss the relationship between the two. It is as well to take the opportunity to make some comment on that question in these Essays. If neglected it may provide a fertile source for conflict and misunderstanding. The potential for conflict arises from an overlap between the area of interest of the Society and that of politicians. Both politicians and the Society have an abiding concern with the structure of our social order, in how we maintain stable co-operative social relationships and cope with the problems of balancing group and individual interests; long and short term objectives; order and liberty, and the host of other conflicts which the communal habits of our species generate. However, the shared interest of the Society and politicians can never result in their developing a common view of these problems, because they approach that shared ground from totally different directions. The emergence of the Aim, Duty and Responsibility of the Society owes nothing to the political ambition to reform or restructure our social relations. Those three statements are solely an attempt to set out a meaning and purpose of our lives that does...
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...Social Structure Theories and Reducing the Crime Rate Social structure theories associate crime rates to the organization, or disorganization of individual neighborhoods. Crime rates are higher in neighborhoods that are more disorganized than in those that are not. When identifying a disorganized neighborhood there are certain things that stand out as signs. They are: high drop out rates, high unemployment rates, a high number of single parent households, and low income levels. Social structure is directly linked to crime. Because of this, there is a need for changes to be made. While there are certainly changes to be made to the criminal justice system, changes should first be made within society. Society needs a better handle on what to do with it’s money and what is really important. Disorganized neighborhoods don’t start out disorganized. However, focus seems to shift quickly from the lower class to wherever the upper class may be. We need to ensure that our money goes to better school systems. We need to create programs to help students graduate and become passionate about academics again, and these programs need to be as available as possible to absolutely anybody who may need them. This extra help needs to stem from both the involvement of society as a whole, as well as a child’s parent. Because single parent households are so common there is a place in society to help out as well. The same as we could create programs for children, we should be putting together...
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...Functionalism in a Family 1 My family would seem very normal from an outside perspective; if someone were to look deep into all the aspects it takes to keep all of us sane and functional, they would be amazed at the effort and dedication it requires. If you look at how “each structure fulfills certain functions, or purposes and activities, to meet different needs that contribute to a society's stability and survival,” (Beth Stewart, lecture 2) you can compare that to a family idea as well. Each family member is a different structure and each has different functions that contribute to the family as a whole. Of course there are many different views and values, but that just gives us more information and ideas to sort out everyone’s different needs. For example: Each parent has a role in providing for their children, whether it is equal roles, or divided ideas. If the father is supposed to provide income, and the mother is supposed to nurture, it can be detrimental to the child and even the spouse if one or both of those roles are not being upheld. “Some social patterns are dysfunctional because they have a negative impact on a group or society.” (Stewart, lecture 2). If one person (structure) of the family is expected to maintain a certain function and doesn’t uphold that, it will have a negative effect which, if left to cultivate, will cause dysfunction. This idea works the same if one individual has too much power. If that happens, the others can be shut out and the...
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...While conducting this interview, I realized that many sociological concepts can be applied to Dean’s past and current work experiences. This has made me more aware of how sociology affects my own working and educational experiences. When Dean was explaining how his job affects his community, functionalism came to mind. This is a concept can be found in several aspects of the workplace. Work is an important function that serves the economy and our society. The primary purpose of Dean’s job is to provide goods that society needs. The secondary purpose of his job is to provide him with an income and it also provides him with a sense of purpose. Another concept that became apparent throughout the interview was subcultures in educational and...
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...Through the Classical Period of India and the Post Classical Period of the Incas and the Aztecs, these civilizations shared similarities in their religion and political structure and placed differences in their social structures. However the similarities both these civilizations have with each other in religion and social structure have minor differences, for example militaristic confidence and the worship or celebration of the religion and the events that took place. Religion in both civilizations were Polytheistic; worship of many gods and goddesses. Although they were polytheistic, both civilizations had different ceremonial tactics. In the Aztec and Inca civilization, they took sacrifice to another level, both in the types and the frequency of the sacrifices had increased and a whole symbolism and ritual, which included ritual cannibalism that developed part of the cult. The Indian civilization did not do sacrifices. This was one of the few differences in both of these religions. However both civilizations held ceremonies and performed rituals to worship the gods. India for instance attacked the conventional Brahman view of what the religion should be, such as a set of proper ceremonies that would lead to good things in this life and the rewards in the afterlife. The Upanishads advanced the idea of mystical contact with a divine essence. Reincarnation; afterlife was very important to these civilizations. Lastly Aztec and Incas, just like the Indians, had many gods that stood...
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...Integration Paper on: “Deep play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight” CLIFFORD GEERTZ Clifford Geertz in his article entitled “Deep play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight”, uses interpretative analysis in the context of cultures as symbolic systems or a set of texts consisting of practices which create shared cultural meaning that is to be read by the anthropologist. Using direct observation of cockfighting and its significance within Balinese society, Geertz makes assertions of its symbolic meaning and relation to Balinese culture, concentrating largely on its social implications and masculine symbolism. To the outsider, one may mistakenly see Balinese cockfighting as simply placing a bet on an animal fight like many other sports concerning animal matches, but there is more to the cockfighting tradition than just that. Cockfighting was firstly shown more than a sport and somewhat of a rite of passage into the Balinese social group/life when an incident concerning Geertz, along with the community, runs away during a police raid of an illegal cockfight instead of simply pulling out their papers and asserting their Distinguished Visitor status. Geertz, before this incident, was treated, along with his wife, as if they were but ghosts in the village that they were observing, thus he portrays this incident as the juncture of his successive acceptance into the community, where he inadvertently established rapport with the community through active participation in one of the society’s...
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