...Social conflict theory, which can be strongly compared to Marxism, argues that factors such as the economic structure and capitalism produce crime and that those with the best resources make rules and laws which plays a role in why the upper class has the means to hide their crime, like in Dorm Room Dealers. Minorities suffer from this system more so than whites, rich or poor. African Americans are disproportionately represented in poverty, because in America, blacks were set up to fail from the beginning. African Americans were pushed into the inner cities and highways were built to benefit whites in the suburbs and further separate the races. This was not done only to segregate, but also to form a cycle of poverty and crime within the black...
Words: 1135 - Pages: 5
...Construction of crime: Platt (1969) – Juvenile Delinquency (Youth crime, is participation in illegal behavior by minors) Originally created as a result of a campaign by upper class Victorian model entrepreneurs, aimed at protecting young people at risk. This established ‘juveniles’ as a separate category of offender with their own courts, and it enabled the state to extend its powers beyond criminal offences involving the young, into so-called ‘status offences’ such as truancy and sexual promiscuity. Becker – notes that social control agencies themselves may also campaign for a change in the law to increase their own power. For example, the US Federal Bureau of Narcotics successfully campaigned for the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 to outlaw marijuana use. Supposedly, this was on the grounds of its ill effects on young people, but Becker argues it was really to extend the Bureau’s sphere of influence. Who gets labelled? Piliavin and Briar (1964) found that police decisions to arrest a youth were mainly based on the physical cues (such as manner and dress), from which they made judgements about the youth’s character. Cicourel – probation officers held the common sense theory that juvenile delinquency was caused by broken homes, poverty and lax parenting. Therefore they tended to see youths from such backgrounds as likely to offend in future and were less likely to support non-custodial sentences for them. ^Page 81 Left Realism – Causes of crime - Marginalisation ...
Words: 446 - Pages: 2
...labelled such by others * Criminal act in itself isn’t important – social reaction to act is * Agrees CD socially constructed * Becker studies – being labelled as deviant can have important consequences for persons identity * If label successfully applied – negative label becomes master status – cancels out any other statuses that indiv. has * Can result in excluding indiv from different social activities e.g. work and other mainstream society – left to find support with others in similar situations * Likely to reinforce deviant lifestyle – leading to dev of further deviant acts and career * Could ultimately lead to the creation of deviant subcultures * However – criticisms – fails to explain why people commit crimes and completely neglects power and social structure – cant explain why certain types of people regularly and repeatedly identified as criminal or deviant – although LT claim to provide voice for those who are labelled as deviant – outsiders – underdog Malinowski: * Working with Malinowski – beckers ‘The Outsiders’ – clear illustration of labelling theory applied to idea of CD * Malinowski – youth killed himself when publically accused of...
Words: 845 - Pages: 4
...In 2014 over 6,000 hate crimes were reported. 5, 642 were single bias incidents and 6,418 were reported hate crime offenses. According to the FBI’s report on their database, 47% of hate crimes were racially motivated. 18.6% were a result of the victim’s sexual orientation and another 18.6% were a result of the victim’s religious beliefs. 11.9% were because of the person’s ethnicity. 1.8% was a result of gender identity, and 1.5% was because of disabilities. 0.6% was because of the victim’s gender. (Gender research) Media plays a large role in creating social norms due to the fact that various forms of media, including film, television, and advertisements, are present almost everywhere in current culture. As a result, gender roles exist solely...
Words: 362 - Pages: 2
...the victim, offender, and the criminal justice system, but it can also involve connections between social movements and many forms of human rights violations (Stevens, 2003). Victimology was born in the 1940’s after two criminologist from Europe named Von Hentig and Mendelson, also known as the fathers of victimology began studying victims of crimes. Their theory was that the victim’s behavior as well as their attitude was the cause of the crime to be committed. During its birth, the focus of victimology was on how the victims were equally responsible for certain crimes with the offender (Carson, 2009). By the 1960’s the focus of victimology shifted towards the rights of victims due to movements such as the Civil Rights movements and the feminist movements. From the 1970’s to the 1990’s victimology turned towards ways to stop future crimes from happening, help victims of crimes to become organized and empowered, and to better understand the population of victims. Today, crime victims still remain the focus of victimology. However, victimology has drastically expanded to include victims in many areas such as terrorist attacks, hate crimes, discrimination, war, and genocides. Additionally, there is also a focus on how to treat behaviors of the victims due to victimization so that the victims can return...
Words: 1176 - Pages: 5
...to them to keep it down, she is not feeling well. They start calling her names and one boy throws a rock at her and hits her in the head. The day before the same boys were out doing the same thing, except this time a middle aged, well built man told them to scat and they did. Why did those kids listen to man, but not the old lady? Why did they resort to violence with her and obedience with him? Why were they on the street in the first place? These and many other questions come to mind when we read this scenario. This is where a Criminologist comes in. Criminologists are trained professionals who look at the individual as well as the society when studying crime. A good starting point for an aspiring Criminologist is a bachelor’s degree in psychology or sociology. Earning a bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology or criminal justice is a logical place to start gaining the skills needed to succeed in a career as a criminologist. People currently in law enforcement, corrections or related field, earning a bachelor's degree may be the only additional education needed to pursue a career as a criminologist. Those looking to do research or teach the profession will need either masters and/or a doctorate degree in the above majors. Each state is different so, look into the state’s criminologists licensure requirements. Some states require licensure and others do not. The criminologist must be analytical and detail oriented. This will require knowledge of statistics. Statistics...
Words: 1117 - Pages: 5
...Criminology and Education (BScEcon) offers students the chance to not only acquire knowledge of the educational policies and systems governing various societies, but will develop understanding of the criminal justice system and the sociological implications associated with this, leading to important (and employable) skills acquisition. Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminality as well as society’s response thereto. Criminology incorporates various disciplines such as psychology, history, law, sociology, anthropology, psychiatry and has sub-categories including victimology (studying victims), penology (reviewing prisons), psychological analysis (profiling of crime scenes and perpetrators), etc. An economic profile is a basic overview of the economy in a certain state, country, or city. An economic profile should always include the expenditure or consumption of money in that area. An economic profile combines narrative information with selective business and financial data to provide an overview of the economic landscape of an industry, business sector, city, region or nation. Companies use economic profiles to assess new investment opportunities and evaluate the desirability of an area for relocation or business expansion. In government, these reports provide valuable intelligence and inform economic policy. Writing an economic profile requires knowing your audience and what it expects to learn from the report, as well as attention to the basics of good professional...
Words: 1595 - Pages: 7
...Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police-practices/police-militarization Chang, C., & Winton, R. (2015). Police Tactics in San Bernadino Rampage Win High Praise from Experts. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/local/crime/la-me-tactics-20151204-story.html CNN. (2015). Columbine High School Shootings Fast Facts. Retrieved from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/us/columbine-high-school-shootings-fast-facts/ Executive Office of the President. (2014, December). Federal Support for Local Law Enforcement Equipment Acquisition. Retrieved from Whitehouse.Org: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/federal_support_for_local_law_enforcement_equipment_acquisition.pdf Fantz, A.,...
Words: 280 - Pages: 2
...Personal development and Academic Skills | Poverty and Crime | Does poverty foster crime? | | SHI Hanwei | 28 September 2012 | Introduction: There has been an ongoing discussion over the relationship between poverty and crime. Some of the researches have concluded that poverty does not increase the crime rate, because in some of the most undeveloped countries where people have low standard of living and some even struggle to survive, the crime rate was proven to be low (Christine 2005). However, in contrast, some scholars have developed a direct relationship between poverty and crime. The researchers indicated that since people who live in poverty are already having a bad life and the benefit of committing a crime is greater than the cost of committing it and ultimately, people who live in poverty is more likely to commit a crime (Niskanen 1996). This essay will examine both perspectives over the relationship between poverty and crime and subjectively suggest possible causes of crime rate. However, since only secondary data are gathered, there might not be sufficient information to present the real issue. Contents of Discussion: In order to prove the direct relationship between poverty and crime, it is crucial to understand the direct influences of poverty and then the potential threats it might oppose to the society. Poverty is defined as the state of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of poor (Dictionary.com 2012). The money is...
Words: 1492 - Pages: 6
...to mind. The death penalty is considered by many to be the harshest form of punishment for crimes against society, but is it too harsh? Many would argue that it is cruel and unusual punishment and that it punishes not just the one convicted but also all of those involved. In this paper we will look at not only the one receiving the punishment but also those involved, including the family of the victim, the jurors, the executioner(s), and the family members of the one being convicted and argue that the sociological impact that the death penalty creates is too devastating for its continued use in the United States. “The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. (deathpenaltyinfo.org)” This is where the term “eye for an eye” originated as well as the belief that the crimes punishment must equal the severity of the crime. United States law was heavily influenced by Great Britain due to Britain maintaining primary control of the original 13 colonies. Currently, in the United States, the Death Penalty is mainly used as a form of punishment for first degree murder however some states still use it for acts of treason. Opposition of the Death Penalty began obtaining a foot hold during the Abolitionist movement when Cesare Beccaria's 1767 essay, On Crimes and Punishment, was published. “In the essay, Beccaria theorized that there was no justification...
Words: 1023 - Pages: 5
...Sociology 12 Primal Fear Part A: 1. The media has a very strong role in the general public's perspective of crime. The way media portrays crime and the person being accused of the crime has a very strong influence on how the general public sees the accused and the crime committed. This is very evident in the movie Primal Fear when the lawyer, Marty says "you know what they're calling him already? The Butcher Boy of St. Nicks." The source of this name has no information on the case or whether he is guilty or innocent, but by giving him that name it gives people the idea that he's guilty. 2. The mental state of someone should be a reason to alter or negate the consequences of their crime. Many mental illness prohibit a person from being able to know right from wrong. We can't punish people who aren't to blame for their crimes, we need to be getting these people the help they need instead of putting them in jail. However there will always be flaws in the system and people such as Aaron will get away with crimes they knew were wrong. 3. Aaron Stampler could be best represented by the social control/social bonding theory. He has very little ties to society because of the passing of his mother at a young age and growing up with an abusive father. After he was able to escape from his family he found the Archbishop, only to be sexually abused by him. He has no positive relationships with anyone is society, this makes him more likely to commit crimes. 4. Organized crime is a business operation...
Words: 808 - Pages: 4
...Outline and critically assess the key assumptions underpinning approaches to crime prevention.Outline and critically assess the key assumptions underpinning approaches to crime prevention. If we look at the definition of crime, we can learn that crime is “an action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law”.Crime could be labelled as one of the most disturbing facts in human`s life. Even if we can see the decrease in overall crime in 2012, we cannot be absolutely sure that it will completely disappear. Many criminologists are interested in crime prevention topic but when people are actually trying to do something with the aim to reduce crime itself, they could struggle with some issues. For example, do we actually know the cause of crime? Are we able to prevent it without a cause? How can we measure it, if it was prevented? The crucial point criminologists are making is that we have got not just crime itself but the fear of crime among society. The fear of crime was introduced to English society by the Conservative party in order to win the election. They use it as a tool, with a purpose to manipulate people. That time could be named as a starting point to massive development of programmes in order to prevent crime and if we talk about citizens - to protect themselves. For example, Farell and Pease discovered that not just the area is important as a victimisation element but that people, who have been victimised once, are more likely to experience it...
Words: 3130 - Pages: 13
...Sociology 100 | Exploration of a Journal Article in Sociology | By: Kenneth Hinchey | Professor Hartnett 4/29/2012 | The article I have chosen is titled “Race, Ethnicity, and Law Enforcement. This article explores the relationship between race, criminality and law enforcement and highlights some of the issues surrounding the intersection of race and criminal behavior. After reading this article I found a few things interesting, such as when the author writes about class subordination, which was identified by W.J. Wilson (1978). He explains how in the second half of the twentieth century, civil rights leaders made great strides to achieve equal rights for people of all racial groups. While this goal may have been legislatively achieved, racial privilege remains a significant issue with which we as a society must grapple. I found this interesting because today we are still faced with these same issues even though we elected our first African American president I feel class subordination still remains with people thinking they are better off just by sheer virtue of race. This is due to a need for people who are not well off to elevate their status, if only in their own minds. Macdonald (2000). Another interesting portion of the article touches on racial profiling. The author writes about a study conducted by Kowalski and Lundman (2007) in which they studied vehicle stop and vehicle search data as well as citizen observation reporting police...
Words: 685 - Pages: 3
...Thesis statement: Research indicates that there is drastic increase of crime rates due to the high levels of unemployment, harsh economic conditions population density. Annotated Bibliography Fougère, D., Kramarz, F., & Pouget, J. (2009). Youth Unemployment and Crime in France. Journal Of The European Economic Association, 7(5), 909-938 Fougère, Kramarz, & Pouget have argued that when there is a large number of youths who are unemployed, the country may have increased criminal activities as most of them are idle and thus, they must find different ways in which they can earn a living to cater for their needs. Additionally, the economic also tends to affect the image of the country in terms of crime. The article seems to have facts that are accurate. This is because the author has presented different examples in order to support his arguments.. This author is a credible source because has a PhD in Economics from Univeriste Paris and he is a Professor at Ensae University. The article supports the statistics in the relation between crime rate rise and unemployment. Edmark, K. (2005). Unemployment and Crime: Is There a Connection?. Scandinavian Journal Of Economics, 107(2), 353-373. The main aim of the above article is to address whether there are any connection between the rate of unemployment and crimes. According to Edmark, lack of job may result in a higher rate of criminal acts. This is due to the fact that most of the people seem to be jobless and thus, they may attempt...
Words: 1537 - Pages: 7
...research the following questions when evaluating violence: what causes a person to have violent outbursts? Is being violent a mental impairment, illness, or disorder? Are we predisposed to criminality by some trait or gene? Is there something subconsciously inside of humanity that makes an individual violent? Do we live in a world where we can control the antisocial behavior of our children by taking care of our bodies when pregnant? Alternatively, is the environment a place where individuals learn to be violent? In 1977, George Engel wrote an essay advocating a new model of crime identified as the biopsychosocial model (Nordstrom, 2011). This model integrates “the biological view of the subject, their psychological state of mind, and the social background in which they occur” (Nordstrom, 2011). One single element does not cause violence, but a combination of biology, psychology, and sociology serve as precursors to potential violence (Nordstrom, 2011). Many criminologists speculate the reasons of personal and...
Words: 2734 - Pages: 11