What is the primary subject or content of the video? What social issues are raised in the video? What major principles of sociological theory are addressed in the video? What might be some possible ramifications for social policy change?
Lastly, I will compare the similarities and differences of each of their approaches. Social order is a social situation whereby the order or connections are stable and maintained. These are rules that are seen, such as law and regulations or unseen, such as norms and moral expectations. In contrast, social disorder is a threat to that maintained order. The mass media, such as radio, television, newspaper and the internet, play a large role in mediating disorder, or chiefly, the feelings of disorder by creating folk devils; these are people, or groups of people, who are portrayed as deviant and are blamed for crimes and other social problems (Cohen 1973, cited in Kelly and Toynbee, 2009); in other words the ‘alco-yobs’, ‘thugs’ and ‘muggers’ of the media headlines.
Social Structure Theory Sue Benitez CJA/314 April 1, 2013 Renee Grengs Social Structure Theory Social Structure Theory is “a theory that explains crime by reference to the economic and social arrangements in society. This type of theory emphasizes relationships among social institutions and describes the types of behavior that tend to characterize groups of people rather than individuals” (Schmalleger, p. 151). Julio Rivera’s murder in the video “Senseless Hate Crime” can be acknowledged and studied using a social structure theoretical application. The following will explain how the video supports the theory, will explain what social issues were raised, and will show what some of the possible ramifications will be for social policy change. There are three major types of Social Structure Theory; Social Disorganization, Strain Theory, and Culture Conflict Theory.
They are failure to achieve positively valued goals, removal of positively valued stimuli, and confrontation with negative stimuli (Agnew, 1992). The major assumptions of General Strain Theory place emphasis on these types of strains and stressors and how they cause deviant behavior. The connection between the strains and deviant behavior are the negative emotions that are produced by the strains such as anger and anxiety. The causes of deviant behavior can be linked to those emotions and the personal resources available to handle the emotions. This helps to define why some individuals with similar strains commit crimes and why others chose legal manners in which they deal with their strains and emotions.
Hirschi constructed the 'bonds of attachment' to understand what forces maintain conformity for most people in society. First, he refers to the attachment to which a person cares about other people's desires. Second, commitment or investment a person puts into their lives and what they would lose if they turned to crime. ...read more. Conclusion To summarize, Merton claims that his analysis shows how the culture and structure of society generates deviance.
Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance (21 marks) As stated in item A the labelling theory ‘explains how actions become labelled as criminal or deviant in society’. This theory has provided many sociologists with a basis to suggest reasons as to why people commit crime in society. These sociologists take a micro-approach to crime and deviance and look at individuals rather than make generalisations based on society as a whole. Becker wrote the book ‘The Outsiders’ which sort to provide an explanation as to why not everyone is labelled as a criminal even if they have committed crime. He proposed three reasons as to why; their interactions with the police, their appearance, and the circumstances of their arrest.
Both crime and deviance are violations of social norms (scn.org). There are many theories to explain why people commit crime, but to explain crime as a social construct the theories of Emile Durkheim, Robert Merton and Howard Becker are closely related. Emile Durkheim’s theory of anomie was introduced in his book “The
SE refers to the dynamic process of being shut out, fully or partially from any of the social, economic, political and cultural system which determine the social integration of the people in society (Walker and Walker, 1997). This definition gives the sense that some people in society are ‘outsiders’ unable to participate fully in society and that the problem is systematic. A left wing commentator for instance Lister (2004) defines social exclusion in relation to poverty: ‘it is a way of looking at the concept of poverty rather than an alternative to it’. A more typically “right wing” stance tends to associate exclusion as being about behaviour that created a lifestyle which is permanently dislocated from way of
Edwin H. Sutherland, a renowned criminologist, developed the theory of differential association, where deviance is explained in terms of the individual’s social relationships. This theory differed drastically from the typical justification of crime relating to biological and psychological issues. Differential association states that an individual’s delinquency can be attributed to an excess of definitions favorable to the violation of laws versus definitions unfavorable to the violations of laws. Sutherland based his differential association theory on the basis of three lines of consideration: symbolic interactionism, cultural transmission and culture conflict (Brown 321, “Edward Sutherland”). Symbolic interactionism is a belief that as individuals and groups interact, peoples’ selves are formed as social products.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the social process theories and how these theories are in relation to determining why individuals commit crimes. The social process theory views committing crimes as being a learned behavior. These learned behaviors are due to the interactions with organizations, institutions, and things that happen within society. Due to society’s lack of control to contain these criminal acts, negative labeling occurs. This labeling is what pushes people into committing crimes (Siegel, 2000).