As I noted yesterday (Thurs.) during our last class meeting, the final exam will be broken into two parts. Part I will consist of short-answer questions (around 35 or so) on material from the last half of the course. The last half of the course begins with our coverage of Crime Types. In that context, remember to check the blog for my follow-up comments to the families' chapter reports. The total points for this section will be 58. Part II will consist of about 16 or 17 questions selected from the Midterm exam. You will see the exact same question as appeared on the midterm, only the point value of many of them will be increased. The total points for this section will be 52. Of course, the final exam as a whole counts 110 points.
In addition to the Crime Types' follow-ups, I also posted my follow-up comments on the drug war video, which you need to review.
In terms of xerox handouts in class, there were three altogether:
(1) "Hollow Claims About Fantasy Violence" by Richard Rhodes
(2) "A Very Fine Line" by Michael Pollan
(3) "Winning the Drug War Isn't So Hard After All" by Michael Massing
No questions on "A Hard Straight"
Review Session: this Sunday 2-4PM in Main 126.
Final Exam Schedule:
Soc. 220A (8:00) Friday, 9-12.
Soc. 220B (9:30) Tuesday 9-12.
I have put the graded papers (essay III) of 220B on my door, which you can now pick up (as of 8:30AM). Later today, I will also put on my door any other papers you may not have picked up or turned in late.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
Last Week Reminders
As you all know, next week is the last week of classes. I thought I'd take this opportunity to remind you of what I plan to cover and what you need to do. First, several people have not turned in the paper that was due yesterday (thurs. 11/29). Get that in ASAP (and remember you need to turn in copies of the articles along with your paper). It is worth 50 points. And those who missed giving a brief summary of your paper will not receive the additional 5 points, unless you have a legitimate excuse for being absent. Second, essay III (described in a Nov. 19th post and handed out in class) is due on Tuesday (12/4). As I noted, please make every effort to get that in on time so I can read and evaluate them and get them back by the end of the week. Third, I fully intend to cover the remainder of Tulia during those last two classes, so please continue reading to the end. Finally, we'll have to talk about the final exam and possibly schedule a review session. We'll do that in class.
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE:
220A (8:00) -- Friday, December 14 9-12.
220B (9:30) -- Tuesday, December 11 9-12.
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE:
220A (8:00) -- Friday, December 14 9-12.
220B (9:30) -- Tuesday, December 11 9-12.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Follow-up Comments to Drug War Video
Before I get into my comments on the drug war video, let me call your attention to the previous post which describes what I want you to do for essay III. Check that out. I'll hand out a hard copy when you get back. And now for my follow-up comments:
A. Let me begin by commenting on several key figures in the Nixon Administration who were responsible for developing the so-called Nixon program. Although Nixon may have been the first to refer to this campaign against dangerous drugs as a "war," initially his program did not stress law enforcement.
1. Bud Krogh, a young White House aide, is given the assignment of cutting crime in the nation's capital (Wash. D.C.). At first, he takes a traditional, law enforcement approach. But he discovers, through the research of Dr. Robert DuPont, that 44% of D.C. jail inmates tested positive for heroin. Seemed to be a strong relationship between heroin use and crime.
a.) So, it was felt that if we could deal with the problem of heroin addiction, perhaps that could lead to a reduction in crime overall.
2. Jeff Donfeld, another White House aide, came upon the work of Dr. Jerome Jaffe in Illinois, where he had demonstrated success in bringing down the rate of heroin addiction and crime through a treatment program that was based primarily on the use of methadone as a substitute drug to wean addicts from heroin.
a.) Donfeld notes that many liberals were suspicious of the Nixon Adm.'s program of methadone maintenance in the ghetto. It was believed that this was really an effort to subjugate the black community, and by also keeping statistics, make it easier to lock them up. Which is probably why Dr. DuPont was spat upon at that party.
b.) Michael Massing reminds us of the politics of the time and the deep suspicions about the "law & order" Nixon Administration. (Some of which, I believe, proved justified in the context of the Watergate scandal, however, this notion of a conspiracy to subjugate the black community was far-fetched and, unfortunately, may have helped undermine this promising new strategy in dealing with the problem of drugs and crime.)
c.) It is also significant that Nixon did not go after the counterculture hippies who were into marijuana and LSD, even though he certainly had no love for them.
B. Above all, the Nixon approach initially was more PRAGMATIC than ideological. Nixon and his aides were among the most conservative people around, yet they did not let their conservative lifestyles stand in the way of recommending an approach which then, as well as today, would be considered liberal. They wanted something that worked.
1. Unfortunately, in the view of Dr. Jaffe, it did not go far enough in terms of developing a real "national strategy" -- how education, law enforcement, treatment and prevention should be integrated.
C. The discovery of the heroin abuse problem among Vietnam vets also helped the cause, because these drug abusers were perceived as basically good people who had gone astray. They needed help, not punishment.
D. As Nixon announced, the federal government was spending $600 million on the problem, two-thirds of that going for treatment. (that ratio is just the opposite today.)
E. The influence of Myles Ambrose (a law & order cop) and politics, however, also led Nixon to establish the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), which would prove his lasting legacy.
F. The Jaffe Office was pretty much history after roughly two years and some success. Watergate was a complicating factor. Krogh was re-assigned, and eventually indicted and convicted, for his activities with the so-called "plumber's unit."
G. The numerous career DEA agents who were interviewed all reflected a purely LAW ENFORCEMENT perspective. When one commented on the Carter Adm. being out-of-touch or having gotten some bad information, I would suggest it was really that agent or the DEA itself that did not understand the real dangers of marijuana, and that law enforcement and interdiction were not the best way to attack that problem.
H. Dr. Peter Bourne, Carter's drug advisor, supported decriminalization of marijuana. His comments on cocaine not being dangerous were based on its acute effects (i.e., the possibility of dying of an overdose). Also, crack cocaine was not yet on the scene.
I. Emergence of the parents crusade led by Mrs. Keith Schuchard got their act together and wanted more attention focused on teenage pot use. This ultimately proved a huge diversion from the growing problem of cocaine which was just on the horizon in 1980. In the long run, Michael Massing would argue that, however well-intentioned, this parents' movement did a disservice to dealing with the hard-core cocaine and heroin problem which continues to be serious.
That's all for now. Have a good Thanksgiving.
A. Let me begin by commenting on several key figures in the Nixon Administration who were responsible for developing the so-called Nixon program. Although Nixon may have been the first to refer to this campaign against dangerous drugs as a "war," initially his program did not stress law enforcement.
1. Bud Krogh, a young White House aide, is given the assignment of cutting crime in the nation's capital (Wash. D.C.). At first, he takes a traditional, law enforcement approach. But he discovers, through the research of Dr. Robert DuPont, that 44% of D.C. jail inmates tested positive for heroin. Seemed to be a strong relationship between heroin use and crime.
a.) So, it was felt that if we could deal with the problem of heroin addiction, perhaps that could lead to a reduction in crime overall.
2. Jeff Donfeld, another White House aide, came upon the work of Dr. Jerome Jaffe in Illinois, where he had demonstrated success in bringing down the rate of heroin addiction and crime through a treatment program that was based primarily on the use of methadone as a substitute drug to wean addicts from heroin.
a.) Donfeld notes that many liberals were suspicious of the Nixon Adm.'s program of methadone maintenance in the ghetto. It was believed that this was really an effort to subjugate the black community, and by also keeping statistics, make it easier to lock them up. Which is probably why Dr. DuPont was spat upon at that party.
b.) Michael Massing reminds us of the politics of the time and the deep suspicions about the "law & order" Nixon Administration. (Some of which, I believe, proved justified in the context of the Watergate scandal, however, this notion of a conspiracy to subjugate the black community was far-fetched and, unfortunately, may have helped undermine this promising new strategy in dealing with the problem of drugs and crime.)
c.) It is also significant that Nixon did not go after the counterculture hippies who were into marijuana and LSD, even though he certainly had no love for them.
B. Above all, the Nixon approach initially was more PRAGMATIC than ideological. Nixon and his aides were among the most conservative people around, yet they did not let their conservative lifestyles stand in the way of recommending an approach which then, as well as today, would be considered liberal. They wanted something that worked.
1. Unfortunately, in the view of Dr. Jaffe, it did not go far enough in terms of developing a real "national strategy" -- how education, law enforcement, treatment and prevention should be integrated.
C. The discovery of the heroin abuse problem among Vietnam vets also helped the cause, because these drug abusers were perceived as basically good people who had gone astray. They needed help, not punishment.
D. As Nixon announced, the federal government was spending $600 million on the problem, two-thirds of that going for treatment. (that ratio is just the opposite today.)
E. The influence of Myles Ambrose (a law & order cop) and politics, however, also led Nixon to establish the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), which would prove his lasting legacy.
F. The Jaffe Office was pretty much history after roughly two years and some success. Watergate was a complicating factor. Krogh was re-assigned, and eventually indicted and convicted, for his activities with the so-called "plumber's unit."
G. The numerous career DEA agents who were interviewed all reflected a purely LAW ENFORCEMENT perspective. When one commented on the Carter Adm. being out-of-touch or having gotten some bad information, I would suggest it was really that agent or the DEA itself that did not understand the real dangers of marijuana, and that law enforcement and interdiction were not the best way to attack that problem.
H. Dr. Peter Bourne, Carter's drug advisor, supported decriminalization of marijuana. His comments on cocaine not being dangerous were based on its acute effects (i.e., the possibility of dying of an overdose). Also, crack cocaine was not yet on the scene.
I. Emergence of the parents crusade led by Mrs. Keith Schuchard got their act together and wanted more attention focused on teenage pot use. This ultimately proved a huge diversion from the growing problem of cocaine which was just on the horizon in 1980. In the long run, Michael Massing would argue that, however well-intentioned, this parents' movement did a disservice to dealing with the hard-core cocaine and heroin problem which continues to be serious.
That's all for now. Have a good Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Essay III
Sociology 220
Essay III
11/20/07
A. In the context of the early trials and convictions, which carried exceedingly long sentences (basically up to Part Three, p.179, in Tulia), I want you to write a 2-3 page essay on how such an obvious miscarriage of justice was possible. Specifically, I want you to identify and discuss how any two factors contributed to this miscarraige of justice. And between the two factors you discuss, which one do you believe represents the greatest threat to the proper functioning of our court system in general.
B. Be sure to give the page number(s) of any passage(s) you quote in your essay.
C. This is due on Tuesday, Dec. 4th. And it is worth 25 points.
Essay III
11/20/07
A. In the context of the early trials and convictions, which carried exceedingly long sentences (basically up to Part Three, p.179, in Tulia), I want you to write a 2-3 page essay on how such an obvious miscarriage of justice was possible. Specifically, I want you to identify and discuss how any two factors contributed to this miscarraige of justice. And between the two factors you discuss, which one do you believe represents the greatest threat to the proper functioning of our court system in general.
B. Be sure to give the page number(s) of any passage(s) you quote in your essay.
C. This is due on Tuesday, Dec. 4th. And it is worth 25 points.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Comments on Chapter 6 of Crime Types & Reminders
As promised, below are my comments on Chapter 6 of Crime Types. When it comes time to study for the final exam, you should focus on these comments, as well as the follow-up comments I made on chapters the families reported on.
Chapter 6: Common Property Crime
A. The chapter begins: "Unfortunately, our country's ardent commitment to capitalism and the accumulation of wealth comes with a downside: Faced with the pressing need to obtain and expend monetary resources, untold scores of people simply take from their fellow citizens as a means of getting what they want." (p. 207) which I noted in class clearly suggests the relevance of Anomie/Strain theory, as well as the Marxist theory.
B. This is, by far, the most common crime. Including burglary, it accounted for 88% of all reported crime. Official property crime rate is 3,656 per 100,000 persons. There were 1.6 million arrests in 2001.
1. Dabney cites the fact that this crime often goes unreported, except in the case of motor vehicle theft because of insurance regulations which require a police report.
2. Shoplifting alone is estimated to cost retailers about $10 billion each year.
3. But, as with other property and violent crimes, the victimization rate has come down significantly from its peek in the mid 70s (although the peak for auto theft was around 1990). pp. 210-211.
C. Common property crime is clearly correlated with large cities -- NYC, Chicago, L.A., and Houston consistently ranked among the top 5, which, again, suggests the relevance of social disorganization theory. Our rate is lower than some countries, but much higher than others, such as Japan. (bottom, p. 211)
D. Generally, unskilled. For example, a lot of car thefts are due simply to people leaving their keys in the car.
E. The setting is important, which suggests the relevance of routine activities theory (eg., stealing cars from large, crowded mall parking lots.)
F. The offenders and victims of common property crime are disproportionately young, African American men.
G. Typically, these criminals have committed many offenses. Recidivism rate is the highest for all types of crimes: 78.8% for auto thieves, and 74.6% for larceny inmates.
H. They begin their criminal careers in their early teens, guided mostly by opportunity and peer pressure. Peak is early 20s. Only a few persist into middle age. (Which I suggested has implications for 3-strikes laws -- that perhaps it is unwise and costly to incarcerate these criminals much beyond their 40s.)
I. "There appears to be a sense of situational rationality that goes into the planning and target selection aspects of common property crime." (p. 215) But drugs and alcohol are, again, often involved -- half of larceny-theft and auto-theft inmates admitted alcohol and drug use at the time of their offense.
J. Neutralization or rationalization involved. p. 216.
K. Not terribly harsh treatment in the criminal justice system and low arrest clearance rates: 17.6% for larceny theft and 13.6% for auto theft (but police are able to return 60% of stolen cars to rightful owners).
L. Finally, Dabney suggests the public is hypocritical to complain that these criminals get lenient treatment when they often do not take it seriously or attempt to stop it or even report it. (see bottom p. 218)
Selection #13: The Dynamics of Petty Crime: An Analysis of Shoplifting
All this represents is an attempt to identify the various motives (and/or rationalizations) shoplifters used to explain their behavior -- ranging from the rational/calculating to the nonrational/compulsive-impulsive variety. Just emphasizes the complexity of such motives, and we should not fall for simplistic explanations. It both supports and pours cold water on rational choice theory.
Selection #14: The Thrill of It All: Youthful Offenders and Auto Theft
A. Identifies three main motivations: (1) profit motive, (2) transportation motive, and (3) recreation motive. Also, there is evidence that much of the increase in this crime can be attributed to "thrill-seeking."
B. "Most prevalent 'recreational' activity reported by offenders was 'hanging-out' with friends, and using drugs and alcohol."
C. Seems to be a general lack of concern about possible court sanctions or punishments. (The above two points reflecting critically on rational chaoice theory.)
D. Control implications: "The obvious conclusions to be drawn from these findings involve the use of (1) target hardening technology, including alarms, steering wheel and ignition locks and (2) increase likelihood and severity of punishment. (p. 238)
____________________________________
REMINDERS:
Don't forget the one-page response to the documentary, "A Hard Straight," which is due Tuesday, AT THE LATEST. The DVD is on reserve in the library if you missed the class showing.
Next Tuesday (11/20) we'll be seeing a video program on the drug war, which is related to the handout by Michael Massing I distributed in class yesterday.
Start reading Tulia.
Don't forget the paper due on Thursday, 11/29, after the break. This paper topic is described on the Oct. 24th blog post.
Chapter 6: Common Property Crime
A. The chapter begins: "Unfortunately, our country's ardent commitment to capitalism and the accumulation of wealth comes with a downside: Faced with the pressing need to obtain and expend monetary resources, untold scores of people simply take from their fellow citizens as a means of getting what they want." (p. 207) which I noted in class clearly suggests the relevance of Anomie/Strain theory, as well as the Marxist theory.
B. This is, by far, the most common crime. Including burglary, it accounted for 88% of all reported crime. Official property crime rate is 3,656 per 100,000 persons. There were 1.6 million arrests in 2001.
1. Dabney cites the fact that this crime often goes unreported, except in the case of motor vehicle theft because of insurance regulations which require a police report.
2. Shoplifting alone is estimated to cost retailers about $10 billion each year.
3. But, as with other property and violent crimes, the victimization rate has come down significantly from its peek in the mid 70s (although the peak for auto theft was around 1990). pp. 210-211.
C. Common property crime is clearly correlated with large cities -- NYC, Chicago, L.A., and Houston consistently ranked among the top 5, which, again, suggests the relevance of social disorganization theory. Our rate is lower than some countries, but much higher than others, such as Japan. (bottom, p. 211)
D. Generally, unskilled. For example, a lot of car thefts are due simply to people leaving their keys in the car.
E. The setting is important, which suggests the relevance of routine activities theory (eg., stealing cars from large, crowded mall parking lots.)
F. The offenders and victims of common property crime are disproportionately young, African American men.
G. Typically, these criminals have committed many offenses. Recidivism rate is the highest for all types of crimes: 78.8% for auto thieves, and 74.6% for larceny inmates.
H. They begin their criminal careers in their early teens, guided mostly by opportunity and peer pressure. Peak is early 20s. Only a few persist into middle age. (Which I suggested has implications for 3-strikes laws -- that perhaps it is unwise and costly to incarcerate these criminals much beyond their 40s.)
I. "There appears to be a sense of situational rationality that goes into the planning and target selection aspects of common property crime." (p. 215) But drugs and alcohol are, again, often involved -- half of larceny-theft and auto-theft inmates admitted alcohol and drug use at the time of their offense.
J. Neutralization or rationalization involved. p. 216.
K. Not terribly harsh treatment in the criminal justice system and low arrest clearance rates: 17.6% for larceny theft and 13.6% for auto theft (but police are able to return 60% of stolen cars to rightful owners).
L. Finally, Dabney suggests the public is hypocritical to complain that these criminals get lenient treatment when they often do not take it seriously or attempt to stop it or even report it. (see bottom p. 218)
Selection #13: The Dynamics of Petty Crime: An Analysis of Shoplifting
All this represents is an attempt to identify the various motives (and/or rationalizations) shoplifters used to explain their behavior -- ranging from the rational/calculating to the nonrational/compulsive-impulsive variety. Just emphasizes the complexity of such motives, and we should not fall for simplistic explanations. It both supports and pours cold water on rational choice theory.
Selection #14: The Thrill of It All: Youthful Offenders and Auto Theft
A. Identifies three main motivations: (1) profit motive, (2) transportation motive, and (3) recreation motive. Also, there is evidence that much of the increase in this crime can be attributed to "thrill-seeking."
B. "Most prevalent 'recreational' activity reported by offenders was 'hanging-out' with friends, and using drugs and alcohol."
C. Seems to be a general lack of concern about possible court sanctions or punishments. (The above two points reflecting critically on rational chaoice theory.)
D. Control implications: "The obvious conclusions to be drawn from these findings involve the use of (1) target hardening technology, including alarms, steering wheel and ignition locks and (2) increase likelihood and severity of punishment. (p. 238)
____________________________________
REMINDERS:
Don't forget the one-page response to the documentary, "A Hard Straight," which is due Tuesday, AT THE LATEST. The DVD is on reserve in the library if you missed the class showing.
Next Tuesday (11/20) we'll be seeing a video program on the drug war, which is related to the handout by Michael Massing I distributed in class yesterday.
Start reading Tulia.
Don't forget the paper due on Thursday, 11/29, after the break. This paper topic is described on the Oct. 24th blog post.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Crime Types' Follow-Ups: Chapters 5 & 8
Below are the remaining two follow-ups to family presentations given last week. Although I separate 220A and 220B presentations, you would all do well to review my comments on each chapter when it comes time to take the final exam because I will base my questions largely on points I highlight in these follow-up comments.
220A: Yellow family
Chapter 8: Crime Within Complex Organizations
A. As was noted in the presentation, Dabney makes the case for using the term, "crime within complex organizations" in lieu of the original term, "white collar crime" (which Edwin Sutherland developed). This is explained in the last paragraph on p. 308.
1. And in that same paragraph it is also stressed how "all organizations are inherently corrupting," in which the likelihood of crime is greater.
B. It was noted that it is difficult to prosecute these crimes, especially to single out responsible individuals. Part of this has to do with the fact that: "Our legal system has traditionally thought of a 'crime' to be an offense that occurs between two or perhaps three persons. Crimes that occur within complex organizations are often collective in nature (i.e., committed by the company or dozens of its employees) and do not make it easy for external authorities to identify a short list of suspects." (p. 311)
1. And Dabney then goes on to note how corporations are more likely to be sued in civil court.
C. It was mentioned $40 billion is the estimated loss due to employee theft. An even more astounding figure is the estimated $174-$231 billion cost to consumers of faulty products, monopolistic practices, etc. And a significant percentage of professional people are involved -- such as 50% of doctors, nurses, pharmacists who engage in various forms of illegal prescription drug use.
D. A surprising percentage of these offenders had prior arrests -- 67% had been arrested more than once in the previous eight years.
E. In addition to greed and power as motives, another factor that stood out was rationalization or neutralization (eg., rationalizing employee theft as a "fringe benefit"). Cites Donald Cressey's book (which I also mentioned in class), Other People's Money. (mid. p. 318)
F. As was noted, the societal reaction is less severe: "Public apathy along with political denial or even complicity...gives rise to relaxed formal social control processes at every stage in the game (i.e., enforcement, prosecution, and sentencing)." (p. 320)
1. And, as was noted, companies often try to handle theft and fraud internally, for the sake of maintaining a good public image.
Selection #19: Crash of ValuJet Flight 592
A. This article highlights the collusion of both the private and public sector in this tragedy.
B. I would call your attention to a key passage:
"Organizational crime theorists have relied on three basic concepts to explain crimes committed by corporations and governments: (1) organizational motivation or goals, (2) opportunity, and (3)social control. The significance of these concepts to a structural-level explanation of state-corporate crime can be encapsulated in the proposition that organizational crime results from a coincidence of pressure for goal attainment, availability and perceived attractiveness of illegitimate means, and an absense or weakness of social control mechanisms." (pp. 333-334)
which suggests the relevance of anomie/strain and routine activities theory.
Selection #20: The Twisted Road to Genocide
A. In addition to looking at the 7 myths about the Holocaust, I would generally describe this article as one which looks upon this tragedy as the result of larger forces than just some evil individuals. At one point, it is noted that: "In reality, the mass murder of the Jews and of other peoples was only possible because it could draw on the mass support of all segments of German society and the military." (p. 340)
B. And, as was suggested in the presentation, this article suggests the application of differntial association or social learning theory.
Selection #21: Drug Using Pharmacists
A. Although a good critical comment was made about how dated most of the research was for this article, there was some research from as late as 1997 to support these claims.
B. As was noted, there is clear evidence or rationalization or neutralization, and routine activities theory, insofar as they had largely unsupervised access to these drugs. But, as I also stressed, the article makes a strong case for the power of addiction -- that even these knowledgeable, professional people often could not control their drug use.
Short-answer questions:
1. Give two of the three main reasons given in the Introduction to Chapter 8, for why so many crimes within complex organizations go unreported. (2pts)
Answer: (1) many go undetected due to the size of the organization and vast sums of money it deals with.
(2) inadequate in-house security departments -- often understaffed and underfunded.
(3) Corporate officials are aware of transgressions but choose not to report them because they fear it will be perceived as financial ineptitude by stockholders or potential clients. (pp. 320-321)
2. How does the author of Selection #20: "The Twisted Road to Genocide," challenge the myth of "The Great Man and His Handful of Followers" being responsible for the Holocaust? (2pts)
Answer: It was not Hitler and his criminal gang that are solely to blame. We cannot ignore: "...the mass support of all segments of German society and the military." (p. 340)
_____________________________
220B: Yellow family
Chapter 5: Burglary
A. As was noted, burglary is viewed by Americans as a serious crime which disrupts people's lives, contributes to a sense of violation and personal invasion of privacy.
B. A couple things about the statistics: (1) the steep decline in burglaries since 1973 -- from a rate of 110 per 1,000 households in 1973 to 28.7 per 1,000 households in 2001 -- a 75% drop. (p. 172). (2) our nationwide offense rate of 862 per 100,000 people compares favorably with several other developed countries. (p. 173)And (3) a point that was not mentioned -- how the rural rate was higher than the suburban rate. This, along with some factors that contribute to the decision to burglarize some place, strongly suggests the relevance of routine activities theory.
1. As Dabney comments: "Factors such as an effective police presence, active neighborhood watch programs, and prevention-friendly residential design (strategic landscaping and street layout) are found to have a significant impact on the level of burglary activity in a suburb." (p. 172) which is why suburbs have the lowest rate.
C. Although some degree of planning is involved, as was brought out, Dabney also notes: "Contrary to popular belief, burglars tend to be an unsophisticated lot who rely on soft targets and brute force to accomplish their crimes." (p. 173) And later -- "Research indicates that most burglars engage in only minimal pre-event planning ... they tend to operate in a somewhat spontaneous fashion, exploiting opportunities as they arise." (p. 177)
D. Drugs and alcohol are often involved, and burglars even believe it enhances their performance. However, cocaine use has been shown to be counterproductive.
1. 56% of incarcerated burglars admitted they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time they committed their last offense. But a drug test revealed that 80% had drugs or alcohol in their systems.
E. Another point brought out in the Introduction, and elaborated on in Selection #12, is the important role of the "fence," the person who disposes of stolen property. Indeed, the whole stolen property system (SPS) is crucial to burglary.
F. Burglars tend to have extended criminal careers. 74% re-arrested, 23% for burglary.
G. Clearance by arrest rate is a very low 13% ( which suggests low certainty of punishment in terms of deterrence theory). This suggests that citizens need to get more involved in protecting themselves against burglary -- neighborhood crime watch; even something as simple as getting together to clean up the neighborhood (or, informal social controls).
Selection #11: Women in Burglary
A. This crime, like many others, is male dominated. But there are women involved. They tend to start later and are more likely to have a partner.
B. Their motivation seems to reflect anomie/strain theory -- instrumental, material motive. But also some speak of the "thrill" of it all.
C. One point which was not brought out, which I would stress, is women's relatively lenient treatment in the criminal justice system (p. 187), which confirms my earlier criticism of feminist theories that argue the criminal justice system is biased against women.
Selection #12: The Stolen Property System
A. As noted earlier, and brought out in the presentation, this is a crucial aspect of burglary -- that the problem is the "system" and not just the individual. See especially p. 194 where this point is highlighted.
Short-answer questions:
I misunderstood, or did not hear clearly, your first question which originally was: Name two of Merton's 5 modes of adaptation that relate to Anomie/Strain theory. That question is poorly worded and not directly relevant because you make no attempt to relate it to burglary. And the second question is rather inconsequential. So, I am not accepting either question from this family.
_______________________________________
220A: Yellow family
Chapter 8: Crime Within Complex Organizations
A. As was noted in the presentation, Dabney makes the case for using the term, "crime within complex organizations" in lieu of the original term, "white collar crime" (which Edwin Sutherland developed). This is explained in the last paragraph on p. 308.
1. And in that same paragraph it is also stressed how "all organizations are inherently corrupting," in which the likelihood of crime is greater.
B. It was noted that it is difficult to prosecute these crimes, especially to single out responsible individuals. Part of this has to do with the fact that: "Our legal system has traditionally thought of a 'crime' to be an offense that occurs between two or perhaps three persons. Crimes that occur within complex organizations are often collective in nature (i.e., committed by the company or dozens of its employees) and do not make it easy for external authorities to identify a short list of suspects." (p. 311)
1. And Dabney then goes on to note how corporations are more likely to be sued in civil court.
C. It was mentioned $40 billion is the estimated loss due to employee theft. An even more astounding figure is the estimated $174-$231 billion cost to consumers of faulty products, monopolistic practices, etc. And a significant percentage of professional people are involved -- such as 50% of doctors, nurses, pharmacists who engage in various forms of illegal prescription drug use.
D. A surprising percentage of these offenders had prior arrests -- 67% had been arrested more than once in the previous eight years.
E. In addition to greed and power as motives, another factor that stood out was rationalization or neutralization (eg., rationalizing employee theft as a "fringe benefit"). Cites Donald Cressey's book (which I also mentioned in class), Other People's Money. (mid. p. 318)
F. As was noted, the societal reaction is less severe: "Public apathy along with political denial or even complicity...gives rise to relaxed formal social control processes at every stage in the game (i.e., enforcement, prosecution, and sentencing)." (p. 320)
1. And, as was noted, companies often try to handle theft and fraud internally, for the sake of maintaining a good public image.
Selection #19: Crash of ValuJet Flight 592
A. This article highlights the collusion of both the private and public sector in this tragedy.
B. I would call your attention to a key passage:
"Organizational crime theorists have relied on three basic concepts to explain crimes committed by corporations and governments: (1) organizational motivation or goals, (2) opportunity, and (3)social control. The significance of these concepts to a structural-level explanation of state-corporate crime can be encapsulated in the proposition that organizational crime results from a coincidence of pressure for goal attainment, availability and perceived attractiveness of illegitimate means, and an absense or weakness of social control mechanisms." (pp. 333-334)
which suggests the relevance of anomie/strain and routine activities theory.
Selection #20: The Twisted Road to Genocide
A. In addition to looking at the 7 myths about the Holocaust, I would generally describe this article as one which looks upon this tragedy as the result of larger forces than just some evil individuals. At one point, it is noted that: "In reality, the mass murder of the Jews and of other peoples was only possible because it could draw on the mass support of all segments of German society and the military." (p. 340)
B. And, as was suggested in the presentation, this article suggests the application of differntial association or social learning theory.
Selection #21: Drug Using Pharmacists
A. Although a good critical comment was made about how dated most of the research was for this article, there was some research from as late as 1997 to support these claims.
B. As was noted, there is clear evidence or rationalization or neutralization, and routine activities theory, insofar as they had largely unsupervised access to these drugs. But, as I also stressed, the article makes a strong case for the power of addiction -- that even these knowledgeable, professional people often could not control their drug use.
Short-answer questions:
1. Give two of the three main reasons given in the Introduction to Chapter 8, for why so many crimes within complex organizations go unreported. (2pts)
Answer: (1) many go undetected due to the size of the organization and vast sums of money it deals with.
(2) inadequate in-house security departments -- often understaffed and underfunded.
(3) Corporate officials are aware of transgressions but choose not to report them because they fear it will be perceived as financial ineptitude by stockholders or potential clients. (pp. 320-321)
2. How does the author of Selection #20: "The Twisted Road to Genocide," challenge the myth of "The Great Man and His Handful of Followers" being responsible for the Holocaust? (2pts)
Answer: It was not Hitler and his criminal gang that are solely to blame. We cannot ignore: "...the mass support of all segments of German society and the military." (p. 340)
_____________________________
220B: Yellow family
Chapter 5: Burglary
A. As was noted, burglary is viewed by Americans as a serious crime which disrupts people's lives, contributes to a sense of violation and personal invasion of privacy.
B. A couple things about the statistics: (1) the steep decline in burglaries since 1973 -- from a rate of 110 per 1,000 households in 1973 to 28.7 per 1,000 households in 2001 -- a 75% drop. (p. 172). (2) our nationwide offense rate of 862 per 100,000 people compares favorably with several other developed countries. (p. 173)And (3) a point that was not mentioned -- how the rural rate was higher than the suburban rate. This, along with some factors that contribute to the decision to burglarize some place, strongly suggests the relevance of routine activities theory.
1. As Dabney comments: "Factors such as an effective police presence, active neighborhood watch programs, and prevention-friendly residential design (strategic landscaping and street layout) are found to have a significant impact on the level of burglary activity in a suburb." (p. 172) which is why suburbs have the lowest rate.
C. Although some degree of planning is involved, as was brought out, Dabney also notes: "Contrary to popular belief, burglars tend to be an unsophisticated lot who rely on soft targets and brute force to accomplish their crimes." (p. 173) And later -- "Research indicates that most burglars engage in only minimal pre-event planning ... they tend to operate in a somewhat spontaneous fashion, exploiting opportunities as they arise." (p. 177)
D. Drugs and alcohol are often involved, and burglars even believe it enhances their performance. However, cocaine use has been shown to be counterproductive.
1. 56% of incarcerated burglars admitted they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time they committed their last offense. But a drug test revealed that 80% had drugs or alcohol in their systems.
E. Another point brought out in the Introduction, and elaborated on in Selection #12, is the important role of the "fence," the person who disposes of stolen property. Indeed, the whole stolen property system (SPS) is crucial to burglary.
F. Burglars tend to have extended criminal careers. 74% re-arrested, 23% for burglary.
G. Clearance by arrest rate is a very low 13% ( which suggests low certainty of punishment in terms of deterrence theory). This suggests that citizens need to get more involved in protecting themselves against burglary -- neighborhood crime watch; even something as simple as getting together to clean up the neighborhood (or, informal social controls).
Selection #11: Women in Burglary
A. This crime, like many others, is male dominated. But there are women involved. They tend to start later and are more likely to have a partner.
B. Their motivation seems to reflect anomie/strain theory -- instrumental, material motive. But also some speak of the "thrill" of it all.
C. One point which was not brought out, which I would stress, is women's relatively lenient treatment in the criminal justice system (p. 187), which confirms my earlier criticism of feminist theories that argue the criminal justice system is biased against women.
Selection #12: The Stolen Property System
A. As noted earlier, and brought out in the presentation, this is a crucial aspect of burglary -- that the problem is the "system" and not just the individual. See especially p. 194 where this point is highlighted.
Short-answer questions:
I misunderstood, or did not hear clearly, your first question which originally was: Name two of Merton's 5 modes of adaptation that relate to Anomie/Strain theory. That question is poorly worded and not directly relevant because you make no attempt to relate it to burglary. And the second question is rather inconsequential. So, I am not accepting either question from this family.
_______________________________________
Monday, November 12, 2007
Wrap-up Crime Types Later This Week & Another Reminder
Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to put together comments about the last two presentations last week (chap. 8 - 220A and chap. 5 - 220B). I hope to do that sometime on Wednesday. In any case, look for it. Also, don't forget that tomorrow we will be seing a documentary, "A Hard Straight," which you must see to do an individual activity.
FINALLY, OUR SINGING SOCIOLOGIST, COREY DOLGON, WILL BE HERE TODAY (MON. 11/12) !He'll be in MAIN 126 at 10:30, and then give an evening performance in McMillan at 6:30PM. Hope some of you can make it.
FINALLY, OUR SINGING SOCIOLOGIST, COREY DOLGON, WILL BE HERE TODAY (MON. 11/12) !He'll be in MAIN 126 at 10:30, and then give an evening performance in McMillan at 6:30PM. Hope some of you can make it.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Crime Types' Chapter Reports' Follow-up & Reminder
Before I get into my follow-up comments on reports on chapters 7 & 4, I want to remind everyone of the importance of being present this coming Tuesday, Nov. 13th, because we will see "A Hard Straight," and connected with that is a 5 point individual activity. I handed out a brief description of that yesterday when a good many of you were absent, so you can pick that up on Tuesday.
On this blog post I plan to comment on two more chapter reports, chapters 4 & 7, which means that I still have to comment on chapters 5 & 8, which I hope to do on Monday.
220A (8:00)
Chapter 7 Report (Red Family)
I appreciated your reference to the difference between "malum in se" and "malum prohibitum" offenses, but you did not present that accurately in your class report. Let me recommend that everyone read the first paragraph on p. 239 where that distinction is made, and understand the significance of public order crimes being classified as malum prohibitum.
As I believe you noted, and has been mentioned before, there is a lot of guesswork when it comes to statistics on drug offenses and prostitution.
(1) For example, as you noted, there were 80,000 prostitution arrests in 2001, yet an estimated 500,000 male and female prostitutes, which I would argue clearly indicates that there is a huge gap between known or reported prostitution and the actual amount of such behavior.
(2) Regarding drug abuse, I would tend to put more faith in hospital emergency room episodes in examining drug trends because it is more objective than surveys, and these figures indicated a worsening problem in the 1990s.
No surprise that there is a high recidivism rate for drug offenders -- two-thirds or 67% (p. 246)
"The pleasure principle tends to dominate the mindset of the public order offender. These persons are usually driven by short-term gratification and thus possess a self-interested and short-sighted outlook at the time of the offense." (p. 247)
Theories -- clearly Anomie theory is relevant, as was noted. I would add, both in terms of the mode of adaptation known as "innovation," but also clearly, "retreatism." And there is evidence of neutralization or rationalization (see middle two paragraphs, p. 249). And, perhaps obviously, much that is critical of rational choice, such as the above quote from p. 247.
Selection #15: Rural Kentucky Marijuana Industry
In addition to the detail that was brought out, I would stress the organized nature of the marijuana industry. In this context, I would have cited the first two sentences of the Conclusion:
"The marijuana industry is a powerful economic and social force in the United States, especially in economically depressed, rural regions of the country. The growth and distribution of marijuana is not a randomly occurring, scattered endeavor, but rather is a structured industry that occupies an important cultural position in rural communities." (p. 264)
Selection #16: Drugs - Crime Connection
As was noted, drugs and crime are closely intertwined. Basically, addicts said their drug and criminal activities began independently but eventually became intertwined.
As also noted, the table on the top of p. 271 was instructive, looking at two key factors: availability and life structure. The worst case scenario is really: "high availability and low life structure" (low life structure being another way of saying, substantial social disorganization), associated with the "free-wheeling junkie." So, the larger social/environmental context is a key factor in determining how destructive drug taking (such as heroin) may be. (see, mid p. 274)
Selection #17: Miami Sex-for-Crack Market Revisted
Selection #18: An Analysis of Women's Involvement in Prostitution
Nothing much to add. Clearly prostitution and crack cocaine are related. Public health issue is important -- having sex in crack houses puts one at extreme risk for HIV infection.
Selection #18 is poorly written, and based on only 21 interviews. However, please see my comments about this with reference to the presentation in 220B (which follows).
Short answer question: I am only accepting one question from this group.
1. Briefly describe the difference between "malum in se" and "malum prohibitum" offenses, and in which category do public order crimes fall? (3pts)
Answer: see first paragraph, p. 239.
220B (9:30)
Chapter 7: Public Order Crime (Mahagony Williams, representing the Blue Family)
Although we did not have a full presentation of Chapter 7, I would call your attention to the comments I made above on the 220A presentation of that chapter. You need to pay attention to these points for the final exam.
Selection #18: An Analysis of Women's Involvement in Prostitution
Personally, I believe this essay is a poorly written piece filled with jargon and based on only 21 interviews. Nonetheless, Mahagony did bring out some good points.
A key point has to do with the contradictions of the involvement in prostitution. One of the best statements of this is on p. 297:
"... the women claimed that involvement in prostitution alleviated their poverty, provided them with housing, helped them to live independently and gave them a means to fashion better lives for themselves. Yet, they also claimed that involvement in prostitution created their poverty, generated their housing difficulties, made them more dependent on men and/or families and jeopardized their social and material survival."
I would add to this an earlier statement that highlights the irony of using fines to punish these women -- "Fining women involved in prostitution for their prostitution-related offenses is paradoxical. Many of them simply did not have the financial resources to pay their fines. The obvious irony is that the criminal justice system itself created the conditions that both justified these women's continued involvement in prostitution as well as trapped them within it." (p. 296)
As Mahagony brought out, Anomie/Strain theory is clearly the most relevant sociological theory to explain prostitution.
Short-answer question: I am accepting one of the two questions offered, with a slight modification:
1. Name two of the three main reasons these women turned to prostitution. (2pts)
Answer: (1) poverty; (2) housing difficulties; (3) violent relationships (p. 294)
220B (9:30)
Chapter 4: Robbery (Orange Family)
As was noted in the presentation, the NCVS indicates that roughly 40% of robbery victims chose not to notify law enforcement authorities.
It was not specifically stressed, but there is a strong correlation between higher robbery rates and more densely populated urban areas --
4.9 per 1,000 city
2.2 per 1,000 suburbs
1.4 per 1,000 rural
which, I would point out, generally supports social disorganization theory.
As was mentioned, I would also stress the very high recidivism rate for robbery offenders -- 70.2%
There is a significant involvement of drugs and alcohol.
"Planning does not appear to play a large role in most robberies." (p. 136)
The above points would, of course, undermine the application of rational choice theory.
It was also mentioned how robbers belong to a criminal subculture in which other robbers are known as "colleagues" -- which suggests the relevance of Differential Association/Social Learning theory. In this regard, we should also note that "seasoned thieves" invoke some normative neutralizations (i.e., techniques of neutralization).
Selection #9: Stick-up, Street Culture, and Offender Motivation
In addition to the obvious need for money (which was mentioned), I would stress the good job the authors do describing this street culture -- the notion of "life as a party," instant gratification in a harsh world. In this context, I would especially call your attention to the bottom two-thirds of p. 146, which is very good on this culture, as well as lending obvious support to another theory, Anomie/Strain theory.
Selection #10: Carjacking
The presenter did not make clear from the start that the focus of this article was on carjacking, a particular form of robbery.
A lot of what is brought out in this article goes against rational choice theory. But there is also clear support for Routine Activities theory (which was not mentioned). See especially the bottom section of p. 154 and the top two lines of p. 155.
Short-answer questions: NONE WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO FAMILY MEMBERS SHOWED UP YESTERDAY WHEN I EXPECTED YOU TO PRESENT YOUR TWO QUESTIONS. NOT ONLY WILL I NOT ACCEPT ANY LATE QUESTIONS, BUT I AM TAKING ONE POINT OFF YOUR PRESENTATION POINTS.
As noted above, I will try to post my comments on the last two presentations (Chap. 8 in 220A & Chap. 5 in 220B) sometime on Monday.
On this blog post I plan to comment on two more chapter reports, chapters 4 & 7, which means that I still have to comment on chapters 5 & 8, which I hope to do on Monday.
220A (8:00)
Chapter 7 Report (Red Family)
I appreciated your reference to the difference between "malum in se" and "malum prohibitum" offenses, but you did not present that accurately in your class report. Let me recommend that everyone read the first paragraph on p. 239 where that distinction is made, and understand the significance of public order crimes being classified as malum prohibitum.
As I believe you noted, and has been mentioned before, there is a lot of guesswork when it comes to statistics on drug offenses and prostitution.
(1) For example, as you noted, there were 80,000 prostitution arrests in 2001, yet an estimated 500,000 male and female prostitutes, which I would argue clearly indicates that there is a huge gap between known or reported prostitution and the actual amount of such behavior.
(2) Regarding drug abuse, I would tend to put more faith in hospital emergency room episodes in examining drug trends because it is more objective than surveys, and these figures indicated a worsening problem in the 1990s.
No surprise that there is a high recidivism rate for drug offenders -- two-thirds or 67% (p. 246)
"The pleasure principle tends to dominate the mindset of the public order offender. These persons are usually driven by short-term gratification and thus possess a self-interested and short-sighted outlook at the time of the offense." (p. 247)
Theories -- clearly Anomie theory is relevant, as was noted. I would add, both in terms of the mode of adaptation known as "innovation," but also clearly, "retreatism." And there is evidence of neutralization or rationalization (see middle two paragraphs, p. 249). And, perhaps obviously, much that is critical of rational choice, such as the above quote from p. 247.
Selection #15: Rural Kentucky Marijuana Industry
In addition to the detail that was brought out, I would stress the organized nature of the marijuana industry. In this context, I would have cited the first two sentences of the Conclusion:
"The marijuana industry is a powerful economic and social force in the United States, especially in economically depressed, rural regions of the country. The growth and distribution of marijuana is not a randomly occurring, scattered endeavor, but rather is a structured industry that occupies an important cultural position in rural communities." (p. 264)
Selection #16: Drugs - Crime Connection
As was noted, drugs and crime are closely intertwined. Basically, addicts said their drug and criminal activities began independently but eventually became intertwined.
As also noted, the table on the top of p. 271 was instructive, looking at two key factors: availability and life structure. The worst case scenario is really: "high availability and low life structure" (low life structure being another way of saying, substantial social disorganization), associated with the "free-wheeling junkie." So, the larger social/environmental context is a key factor in determining how destructive drug taking (such as heroin) may be. (see, mid p. 274)
Selection #17: Miami Sex-for-Crack Market Revisted
Selection #18: An Analysis of Women's Involvement in Prostitution
Nothing much to add. Clearly prostitution and crack cocaine are related. Public health issue is important -- having sex in crack houses puts one at extreme risk for HIV infection.
Selection #18 is poorly written, and based on only 21 interviews. However, please see my comments about this with reference to the presentation in 220B (which follows).
Short answer question: I am only accepting one question from this group.
1. Briefly describe the difference between "malum in se" and "malum prohibitum" offenses, and in which category do public order crimes fall? (3pts)
Answer: see first paragraph, p. 239.
220B (9:30)
Chapter 7: Public Order Crime (Mahagony Williams, representing the Blue Family)
Although we did not have a full presentation of Chapter 7, I would call your attention to the comments I made above on the 220A presentation of that chapter. You need to pay attention to these points for the final exam.
Selection #18: An Analysis of Women's Involvement in Prostitution
Personally, I believe this essay is a poorly written piece filled with jargon and based on only 21 interviews. Nonetheless, Mahagony did bring out some good points.
A key point has to do with the contradictions of the involvement in prostitution. One of the best statements of this is on p. 297:
"... the women claimed that involvement in prostitution alleviated their poverty, provided them with housing, helped them to live independently and gave them a means to fashion better lives for themselves. Yet, they also claimed that involvement in prostitution created their poverty, generated their housing difficulties, made them more dependent on men and/or families and jeopardized their social and material survival."
I would add to this an earlier statement that highlights the irony of using fines to punish these women -- "Fining women involved in prostitution for their prostitution-related offenses is paradoxical. Many of them simply did not have the financial resources to pay their fines. The obvious irony is that the criminal justice system itself created the conditions that both justified these women's continued involvement in prostitution as well as trapped them within it." (p. 296)
As Mahagony brought out, Anomie/Strain theory is clearly the most relevant sociological theory to explain prostitution.
Short-answer question: I am accepting one of the two questions offered, with a slight modification:
1. Name two of the three main reasons these women turned to prostitution. (2pts)
Answer: (1) poverty; (2) housing difficulties; (3) violent relationships (p. 294)
220B (9:30)
Chapter 4: Robbery (Orange Family)
As was noted in the presentation, the NCVS indicates that roughly 40% of robbery victims chose not to notify law enforcement authorities.
It was not specifically stressed, but there is a strong correlation between higher robbery rates and more densely populated urban areas --
4.9 per 1,000 city
2.2 per 1,000 suburbs
1.4 per 1,000 rural
which, I would point out, generally supports social disorganization theory.
As was mentioned, I would also stress the very high recidivism rate for robbery offenders -- 70.2%
There is a significant involvement of drugs and alcohol.
"Planning does not appear to play a large role in most robberies." (p. 136)
The above points would, of course, undermine the application of rational choice theory.
It was also mentioned how robbers belong to a criminal subculture in which other robbers are known as "colleagues" -- which suggests the relevance of Differential Association/Social Learning theory. In this regard, we should also note that "seasoned thieves" invoke some normative neutralizations (i.e., techniques of neutralization).
Selection #9: Stick-up, Street Culture, and Offender Motivation
In addition to the obvious need for money (which was mentioned), I would stress the good job the authors do describing this street culture -- the notion of "life as a party," instant gratification in a harsh world. In this context, I would especially call your attention to the bottom two-thirds of p. 146, which is very good on this culture, as well as lending obvious support to another theory, Anomie/Strain theory.
Selection #10: Carjacking
The presenter did not make clear from the start that the focus of this article was on carjacking, a particular form of robbery.
A lot of what is brought out in this article goes against rational choice theory. But there is also clear support for Routine Activities theory (which was not mentioned). See especially the bottom section of p. 154 and the top two lines of p. 155.
Short-answer questions: NONE WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO FAMILY MEMBERS SHOWED UP YESTERDAY WHEN I EXPECTED YOU TO PRESENT YOUR TWO QUESTIONS. NOT ONLY WILL I NOT ACCEPT ANY LATE QUESTIONS, BUT I AM TAKING ONE POINT OFF YOUR PRESENTATION POINTS.
As noted above, I will try to post my comments on the last two presentations (Chap. 8 in 220A & Chap. 5 in 220B) sometime on Monday.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Crime Types' Chapter Reports' follow-ups
As I promised in class, I plan to follow-up on each of the family's chapter reports from Crime Types. Yesterday (Tues, 11/6) there were two reports on Chapter 3, as well as reports on Chapters 4 & 7. I am going to hold off commenting on 4 & 7 since we did not get to their short-answer questions.
220A (8:00) Black family
Chapter 3: Violent Sex Crimes
A. In citing some of the statistics at the beginning about the prevalence of sex crimes, it should be pointed out that violent sex crimes accounted for only a small fraction of all violent crime -- 4% (which the black family did note)
But there are other statistics which suggest that it is serious and a persistent concern of American women.
For example: sexually assaultive action present in 1 of 10 violent crimes involving a female. Also, over a lifetime women have a 1 in 6 chance of being a victim of rape. And that the U.S. is the "violent sex crime capitol of the world" with a rate of 35.9/100,000. (although as we noted in class, it appears that is just the case in comparison with other developed societies. We guessed that rape is much more prevalent in some less developed countries such as in Africa.)
B. Be familiar with the theories offered in the Introduction (pp. 82-3):
Namely, gender inequality, pornography, social disorganization(which clearly relates to earlier lectures), legitimation of violence.
They all make sense, although the pornography theory is not very strongly supported, and correlating rape rates with subscription rates to adult magazines is weak evidence at best.
C. I would also stress that 70% of rapes and sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim. (i.e., acquaintance or date rape) I believe this was overlooked.
D. Also overlooked was a rather startling finding from a 1990 study (bottom, p.85) that suggested that violent resistence to rape serves as an effective means of preventing rape completion and reducing the level of injuries sustained.
E. Just a note about recidivism rates (p. 86): Langin & Levin reported 42% of released rapists were rearrested within 3 years. But also, 1 in 10 rapists will be re-arrested for a similar charge at some time in the future. There is an obvious discrepancy here which I believe has to do with the specificity of the latter statistic because it specified re-arrested for rape. Nonetheless, both figures are actually fairly low compared to other crimes.
#6 Riding the Bull at Gilley's...
A. Let me underscore, as I did briefly in class, that a larger context or meaning of this article is to suggest that rape is not so much a product of "sick" individuals (the psychopathologial model) but a sick culture.
as the authors state: "... the psychopathological model ignores evidence which links sexual aggression to environmental variables and which suggests that rape, like all behavior, is learned." (p. 92) (Of course, that last statement alludes to Social Learning theory. Moreover, the article addresses various ways rapists neutralize or rationalize their behavior.)
#7 Acquaintance Gang Rape on Campus
A. Especially important, as was brought out, is the group nature of this offense -- how group pressure can overcome individual reluctance. Remember,
diffusion of responsibility
de-individualization
modeling aggression (p.108)
B. I would also stress a recommendation the authors make -- that it is not just stranger rape college campuses need to guard against with increased lighting, etc., but we need to work on profound attitudinal changes among males.
#8 Understanding Women's Experiences of Wife Rape
A. Important to stress how relatively recently our criminal justice system has acknowledged this as a crime.
B. Again, we are dealing with male attitudes which can lead to this. Perhaps the bottom line is that men must be taught not to treat women as sex objects, even if they happen to be their wives.
Finally, in all this, we should acknowledge that drugs and alcohol play a huge role.
Short-answer questions:
1. Identify and briefly describe two of the three factors that attempt to explain why people in groups act more aggressively than they would on their own. (2pts)
Answer: (1) Diffusion of Responsibility -- responsibility for the situation is diluted by the presence of others who share the blame.
(2) Deindividualization -- the loss of individual awareness of one's beliefs, attitudes, and personal standards.
(3)Modeling of Aggression -- follow your peers in acting. For example, watching members of a group rape a woman indicates the appropriateness of the act and would also demonstrate how it is done.
2. Briefly describe the social disorganization theory of violent sex crimes. (2pts)
Answer: Crime rates up with social disorganization: institutional infrastructure breaks down; poverty, collapse of traditional nuclear family, racial tension, decreased religiousity, breeds alienation and desperation, which in turn produces frustration reaction. (p. 82)
________________________________________
220B (9:30) Black family
Chapter 3: Violent Sex Crimes
SEE MY COMMENTS ABOVE FOR 220A.
Also, one additional point I wanted to clarify had to do with a couple statistics you presented which conveyed a false impression:
You noted that 62.7% of individuals arrested for forcible rape were white.
Then, you cited the fact that black women have the highest victimization rate. And you went on to (inadvertently) suggest that white males were preying on black females. No. These are two separate statistics. Most violent crimes, including rape, are intra-racial, that is, within racial groups.
Short-answer question (I am only accepting one of yours):
1. What are three of the six "motivational themes" found among incarcerated rapists in Selection #6: "Riding the Bull at Gilley's:..."? (3pts)
Answer: 1. revenge & punishment
2. an added bonus
3. sexual access
4. impersonal sex & power
5. recreation & adventure
6. feeling good (pp. 94-100)
That's all for now. See you tomorrow.
220A (8:00) Black family
Chapter 3: Violent Sex Crimes
A. In citing some of the statistics at the beginning about the prevalence of sex crimes, it should be pointed out that violent sex crimes accounted for only a small fraction of all violent crime -- 4% (which the black family did note)
But there are other statistics which suggest that it is serious and a persistent concern of American women.
For example: sexually assaultive action present in 1 of 10 violent crimes involving a female. Also, over a lifetime women have a 1 in 6 chance of being a victim of rape. And that the U.S. is the "violent sex crime capitol of the world" with a rate of 35.9/100,000. (although as we noted in class, it appears that is just the case in comparison with other developed societies. We guessed that rape is much more prevalent in some less developed countries such as in Africa.)
B. Be familiar with the theories offered in the Introduction (pp. 82-3):
Namely, gender inequality, pornography, social disorganization(which clearly relates to earlier lectures), legitimation of violence.
They all make sense, although the pornography theory is not very strongly supported, and correlating rape rates with subscription rates to adult magazines is weak evidence at best.
C. I would also stress that 70% of rapes and sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim. (i.e., acquaintance or date rape) I believe this was overlooked.
D. Also overlooked was a rather startling finding from a 1990 study (bottom, p.85) that suggested that violent resistence to rape serves as an effective means of preventing rape completion and reducing the level of injuries sustained.
E. Just a note about recidivism rates (p. 86): Langin & Levin reported 42% of released rapists were rearrested within 3 years. But also, 1 in 10 rapists will be re-arrested for a similar charge at some time in the future. There is an obvious discrepancy here which I believe has to do with the specificity of the latter statistic because it specified re-arrested for rape. Nonetheless, both figures are actually fairly low compared to other crimes.
#6 Riding the Bull at Gilley's...
A. Let me underscore, as I did briefly in class, that a larger context or meaning of this article is to suggest that rape is not so much a product of "sick" individuals (the psychopathologial model) but a sick culture.
as the authors state: "... the psychopathological model ignores evidence which links sexual aggression to environmental variables and which suggests that rape, like all behavior, is learned." (p. 92) (Of course, that last statement alludes to Social Learning theory. Moreover, the article addresses various ways rapists neutralize or rationalize their behavior.)
#7 Acquaintance Gang Rape on Campus
A. Especially important, as was brought out, is the group nature of this offense -- how group pressure can overcome individual reluctance. Remember,
diffusion of responsibility
de-individualization
modeling aggression (p.108)
B. I would also stress a recommendation the authors make -- that it is not just stranger rape college campuses need to guard against with increased lighting, etc., but we need to work on profound attitudinal changes among males.
#8 Understanding Women's Experiences of Wife Rape
A. Important to stress how relatively recently our criminal justice system has acknowledged this as a crime.
B. Again, we are dealing with male attitudes which can lead to this. Perhaps the bottom line is that men must be taught not to treat women as sex objects, even if they happen to be their wives.
Finally, in all this, we should acknowledge that drugs and alcohol play a huge role.
Short-answer questions:
1. Identify and briefly describe two of the three factors that attempt to explain why people in groups act more aggressively than they would on their own. (2pts)
Answer: (1) Diffusion of Responsibility -- responsibility for the situation is diluted by the presence of others who share the blame.
(2) Deindividualization -- the loss of individual awareness of one's beliefs, attitudes, and personal standards.
(3)Modeling of Aggression -- follow your peers in acting. For example, watching members of a group rape a woman indicates the appropriateness of the act and would also demonstrate how it is done.
2. Briefly describe the social disorganization theory of violent sex crimes. (2pts)
Answer: Crime rates up with social disorganization: institutional infrastructure breaks down; poverty, collapse of traditional nuclear family, racial tension, decreased religiousity, breeds alienation and desperation, which in turn produces frustration reaction. (p. 82)
________________________________________
220B (9:30) Black family
Chapter 3: Violent Sex Crimes
SEE MY COMMENTS ABOVE FOR 220A.
Also, one additional point I wanted to clarify had to do with a couple statistics you presented which conveyed a false impression:
You noted that 62.7% of individuals arrested for forcible rape were white.
Then, you cited the fact that black women have the highest victimization rate. And you went on to (inadvertently) suggest that white males were preying on black females. No. These are two separate statistics. Most violent crimes, including rape, are intra-racial, that is, within racial groups.
Short-answer question (I am only accepting one of yours):
1. What are three of the six "motivational themes" found among incarcerated rapists in Selection #6: "Riding the Bull at Gilley's:..."? (3pts)
Answer: 1. revenge & punishment
2. an added bonus
3. sexual access
4. impersonal sex & power
5. recreation & adventure
6. feeling good (pp. 94-100)
That's all for now. See you tomorrow.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Looking Ahead to Next Week
I should have your essays back on Tuesday (11/6). Also, remember that we are going to have the family reports on Crime Types. Check the Oct 19th post for what these reports should include. I will give you 10 or 15 minutes at the beginning of class to do any last minute coordinating you may need to do. The schedule is:
Tuesday: 220A: Chap. 3: Black family; Chap. 7: Red family.
220B: Chap. 3: Black family; Chap. 4: Orange family.
Thursday: 220A: Chap. 8: Yellow family.
220B: Chap. 5: Yellow family; Chap. 7: Blue family.
Also, keep in mind that I expect everyone to read all of these chapters in Crime Types, as well as the conclusion, Chapter 9. See you Tuesday.
Tuesday: 220A: Chap. 3: Black family; Chap. 7: Red family.
220B: Chap. 3: Black family; Chap. 4: Orange family.
Thursday: 220A: Chap. 8: Yellow family.
220B: Chap. 5: Yellow family; Chap. 7: Blue family.
Also, keep in mind that I expect everyone to read all of these chapters in Crime Types, as well as the conclusion, Chapter 9. See you Tuesday.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Looking Ahead & A Reminder
First, the reminder. I have not received all of the one-page comments on that article on campus crime. If you are among those who have not turned it in, you have until class time on Tuesday to turn it in. After that I will not accept any more of them and you will lose an easy 3 activity points.
Looking ahead to this coming week, as you all should know we have an in-class essay coming up this Thursday (Nov. 1). To prepare for it, you might want to look over the sociological theories of criminal behavior again and be sure to bring your notes to class on Thursday. Also, as I noted this past Thursday, the farther you are along in Crime Types, the more material you will have to choose from in addressing the topic I'll give you. In 220A (8:00), I have already covered Chapters 1 & 2, and most of Chapter 4. And I hope to cover Chapters 5 & 6 on Tuesday. In 220B (9:30), I have covered Chapters 1& 2, and I hope to cover Chapters 6 & 8 on Tuesday. Of course, I assume you have all begun reading the Chapter your family will be reporting on. And remember, the in-class essay on Thursday will be open-book, open-notebook, so again bring your notebooks and books along.
Looking ahead to this coming week, as you all should know we have an in-class essay coming up this Thursday (Nov. 1). To prepare for it, you might want to look over the sociological theories of criminal behavior again and be sure to bring your notes to class on Thursday. Also, as I noted this past Thursday, the farther you are along in Crime Types, the more material you will have to choose from in addressing the topic I'll give you. In 220A (8:00), I have already covered Chapters 1 & 2, and most of Chapter 4. And I hope to cover Chapters 5 & 6 on Tuesday. In 220B (9:30), I have covered Chapters 1& 2, and I hope to cover Chapters 6 & 8 on Tuesday. Of course, I assume you have all begun reading the Chapter your family will be reporting on. And remember, the in-class essay on Thursday will be open-book, open-notebook, so again bring your notebooks and books along.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Paper Topic
Below is a write-up of the paper assignment for Sociology 220. I will also hand out a hard copy of this in class tomorrow:
Sociology 220A & B
Paper Topic
10/25/07
Locate 3 articles relevant to a particular crime type discussed in our text, Crime Types, and which you have an interest in finding out more. I would focus on more popular publications such as newspapers, popular magazines, and as a last resort, professional journals in criminology. The articles should each be at least two pages long, and NOT from the list of sources in Crime Types. In your paper I want you to discuss what insights these articles contain and then discuss them in the context of how Crime Types analyzes that particular type of criminal behavior. Do the articles support or not support the treatment of that type of crime in the text? Finally, I want you to address the question of the implications of what you've learned about this type of criminal behavior for policies to better control it or reduce it.
The paper should be 6-7 pages double-spaced typewritten. Please turn in copies of all three articles along with your paper. To cite any passages that you may quote, simply assign a number at the end of the quote and then put the source and page number (if applicable) at the end on an Endnotes page. That, of course, would include any passages from Crime Types you might use in your paper.
This paper is due on THURSDAY, NOV. 29TH, at which time everyone will have a brief opportunity to summarize your findings for the class (5 minutes tops).The paper is worth 50 points, and the presentation 5 points.
Sociology 220A & B
Paper Topic
10/25/07
Locate 3 articles relevant to a particular crime type discussed in our text, Crime Types, and which you have an interest in finding out more. I would focus on more popular publications such as newspapers, popular magazines, and as a last resort, professional journals in criminology. The articles should each be at least two pages long, and NOT from the list of sources in Crime Types. In your paper I want you to discuss what insights these articles contain and then discuss them in the context of how Crime Types analyzes that particular type of criminal behavior. Do the articles support or not support the treatment of that type of crime in the text? Finally, I want you to address the question of the implications of what you've learned about this type of criminal behavior for policies to better control it or reduce it.
The paper should be 6-7 pages double-spaced typewritten. Please turn in copies of all three articles along with your paper. To cite any passages that you may quote, simply assign a number at the end of the quote and then put the source and page number (if applicable) at the end on an Endnotes page. That, of course, would include any passages from Crime Types you might use in your paper.
This paper is due on THURSDAY, NOV. 29TH, at which time everyone will have a brief opportunity to summarize your findings for the class (5 minutes tops).The paper is worth 50 points, and the presentation 5 points.
Friday, October 19, 2007
New Families & Crime Types Chapter Reports
Yesterday in class, we drew dominoes for new families. The new families, probably for the remainder of the semester will be as follows (and in parentheses I indicate the chapter in Crime Types you'll be reporting on):
220A
Black Family: McKenzie P., Emily D., and Johnson R.(Chap. 3)
Red Family: Josh S., Chris W.,and Elizabeth C. (Chap. 7)
Yellow Family: Liz K., Jessica O., and Philip B.(Chap. 8)
220B
Orange Family: Chelsea J., Reem T., Michael M., and Emre C. (Chap. 4)
Blue Family: Mack G., Jared M., Sarah H., and Mahagony W. (Chap. 7)
Yellow Family: Amanda L., Natalie G., Haskins H., and Sam L. (Chap. 5)
Black Family: Jenny A., Marshall H., St. Claire P., Scott C., and Mary Elston H. (Chap. 3)
Crime Types Reports: each family will be responsible for the chapter in Crime Types indicated above. This will be an oral report, however, I do want you to submit in writing two short answer exam questions based on your report. Plan on taking roughly 20-30 minutes. We will try to cover two of these reports per class beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 6th and continuing on Thursday, Nov. 8th. I will take responsibility for reporting on the other chapters in Crime Types. I want you to address the following in your report, and please make sure each member of the family has a speaking role:
(1) a general overview of that chapter and the selected articles. Please do not try to cover everything because that would take too long. Focus on main points and a few supporting examples and statistics.
(2) draw out at least a couple connections to the theories of criminal and deviant behavior we covered in the first half of the course. And by "connections" I mean not only things which support a particular theory but also information which may go against or contradicts a theory.
(3) implications of what you learned about your crime type which may have use in developing strategies for controlling or reducing that type of criminal behavior.
(4) two short answer exam questions based on your chapter.
This family activity will be worth 5 points.
Finally, I'll have your exams back on Tuesday and talk a bit more about Chapter 2 in Crime Types.
220A
Black Family: McKenzie P., Emily D., and Johnson R.(Chap. 3)
Red Family: Josh S., Chris W.,and Elizabeth C. (Chap. 7)
Yellow Family: Liz K., Jessica O., and Philip B.(Chap. 8)
220B
Orange Family: Chelsea J., Reem T., Michael M., and Emre C. (Chap. 4)
Blue Family: Mack G., Jared M., Sarah H., and Mahagony W. (Chap. 7)
Yellow Family: Amanda L., Natalie G., Haskins H., and Sam L. (Chap. 5)
Black Family: Jenny A., Marshall H., St. Claire P., Scott C., and Mary Elston H. (Chap. 3)
Crime Types Reports: each family will be responsible for the chapter in Crime Types indicated above. This will be an oral report, however, I do want you to submit in writing two short answer exam questions based on your report. Plan on taking roughly 20-30 minutes. We will try to cover two of these reports per class beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 6th and continuing on Thursday, Nov. 8th. I will take responsibility for reporting on the other chapters in Crime Types. I want you to address the following in your report, and please make sure each member of the family has a speaking role:
(1) a general overview of that chapter and the selected articles. Please do not try to cover everything because that would take too long. Focus on main points and a few supporting examples and statistics.
(2) draw out at least a couple connections to the theories of criminal and deviant behavior we covered in the first half of the course. And by "connections" I mean not only things which support a particular theory but also information which may go against or contradicts a theory.
(3) implications of what you learned about your crime type which may have use in developing strategies for controlling or reducing that type of criminal behavior.
(4) two short answer exam questions based on your chapter.
This family activity will be worth 5 points.
Finally, I'll have your exams back on Tuesday and talk a bit more about Chapter 2 in Crime Types.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Sounding Board for Extra Credit
Dear Criminal and Deviant Behavior Students, I am setting up this blog post to gather any comments about relevant articles or experiences which I will consider for the possible awarding of extra credit points. Whenever you feel the urge to make some comment about anything we've covered in class or you may encounter in the reading, feel free to use this post for that purpose. Please be sure to indicate in what way your comment(s) may be relevant to the course. I will consider (but not guarantee) extra credit points, and I will let you know what points, if any, I will give you for your contributions. Prof. Ginocchio
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Additional Exam Questions & Lecture Material
Below are the exam questions that will be included on the midterm exam. Be sure to pay attention only to the two questions from your section.
220A
1. Identify and briefly describe 2 of the four elements of Hirschi's Social Bonding theory. (4pts)
2. What were the two main types of psychological theory of criminal behavior that I briefly presented in class? (2pts)
220B
1. How did Prof. Akers suggest we modify the old saying, "birds of a feather flock together," to make it fit Differential Association theory better? (1pt)
2. Briefly describe how the handout on "Saints and Roughnecks" fits labeling theory. (2pts)
In the remainder of this blog post I will state the passages I quoted in class yesterday on labeling theory and then provide the lecture notes I had planned to cover before the midterm exam. I'll hit some of the highlights of these notes tomorrow in class. And don't forget, tomorrow is also showtime! SINGING THE THEORIES.
Passages on Labeling theory: Howard Becker in his book, The Outsiders, describes the crux of the theory: "One of the most crucial steps in the process of building a stable pattern of deviant behavior is likely to be the experience of being caught and publicly labeled as a deviant. Whether a person takes this step or not depends not so much on what he does as on what other people do...being caught and branded as a deviant has important consequences for one's further social participation and self-image."
Prof. Akers in criticism of labeling theory: "People are labelled as delinquent, criminal, homosexual, mentally ill, drug addicts, child molesters, and so on largely on the basis of overt acts they have committed or are believed to have committed. Therefore, the deviant behavior itself is prior to and forms the basis for the stigmatizing label. The behavior creates the label more than the label creates the behavior; and subsequent deviant behavior continues the label more than the label continues the behavior."
And now back to where we left off in my lecture notes:
F. Back in the 1970s the labeling thesis did have some impact on criminal justice policy, inspiring so-called "juvenile diversion programs"-- avoid labeling juvenile offenders and thereby locking them into a life of crime. Unfortunately, studies of such diversion programs have not demonstrated much effectiveness in stopping juveniles from continuing to commit crimes.
(Nonetheless, I believe avoiding the criminal justice system, prisons especially, when possible makes sense (eg. drug courts). Most nonviolent offenders and drug abusers need help more than punishment and the stigma attached to it.)
G. Labeling theory may have been a product of its time -- it became popular in the 1960s to criticize the criminal justice system, to see it as part of the problem (which I believe was important to recognize). But by the late 1970s, it was beginning to be rejected as a more conservative mood took hold.
H. Despite the strong criticism, Prof. Akers (among others) does see some promise in Braithwaite's revision. Finally, Akers fairly, and very broadly, identifies the principal strength and weakness of labeling theory:
"The principal strength of labeling theory is that it calls attention to the unintended consequences of social control. Its principal weakness is that it essentially ignores primary deviance and seriously underestimates the influence that other variables have on behavior in the first place and continue to have on its future occurrence."
__________________________________
Social Disorganization Theory
A. This theory originated at the University of Chicago in the 1920s and it is closely associated with a broader theoretical perspective known as "urban ecology" that developed there around the same time.
1. The urban ecologists developed various models to describe the city, its growth and development. They identified certain "natural areas" or zones, some of which had distinctly higher rates of criminal behavior. Why?
2. The social disorganization theorists contended that these high crime areas were characterized by a variety of indicators of social disorganization. For example, an especially crime-prone area was the so-called "zone of transition" -- an area near the commercial core which was changing from residential to commercial. It was characterized by physical decay, poor housing, incomplete and broken families, high rates of illegitimate births and an unstable (transient) heterogeneous population -- all indicators of social disorganization. (Similar to "rooming house area")
a.) Other characteristics identified in later versions of the theory (Sampson & Groves, 1989): lack of informal friendship networks, low participation in organizations, etc.
3. Normal people trying to cope with these destabalizing, abnormal conditions tend to get involved in criminal behavior.
4. This is the first truly macro theory we've covered, placing the blame on social conditions and focusing on rates.
B. They also contended that rapid industrialization and urbanization caused this social disorganization which, in turn, undermined social control exercised through traditional social order and values.
(In some ways, I see these theorists as the 1920s and 30s version of the so-called "moral majority" of the 1980s, a group which stressed the breakdown of traditional morality, decline of the family, secualrization of society (even urbanization), etc. as giving rise to high rates of crime and deviance.)
C. Certainly, things have changed in our cities and inner cities. If anything, conditions have deteriorated even further in our inner cities especially and crime rates are higher, even if they have declined somewhat in recent years, as brought out in books such as William Julius Wilson's The Truly Disadvantaged. Yet, there is some basis to question this theory,as Prof. Akers observes ---
"To what degree the relationship between inner-city residence and crime is a result of social disorganization remains uncertain...."
"Often the research does not carefully measure social disorganization..."
"The very fact that crime and deviance are high within an area is itself sometimes used, tautologically, as an empirical indicator that the area is socially disorganized...."
Furthermore, even in those areas characterized as the most disorganized, only a minority of youths and an even smaller minority of adults are involved in crime. And this is not to mention potential racial or class bias in police practices which may inflate the degree of crime in these areas.
1. Another problem with social disorganization theory, raised many years ago by a prominent American sociologist, C. Wright Mills, was the problem of bias. In an essay entitled, "The Ideology of Social Pathologists" (late '30s), he suggested that these social disorganization theorists had a strong anti-urban bias because of their small-town, religious upbringing, which they assumed to be the basis of social order.
D. Despite its apparent bias, among other problems mentioned, I believe social disorganization theory makes some sense and it suggests the need to address poor social conditions in order to address the crime problem. (this point comes through loud and clear in Michael Massing's book, The Fix, about the drug problem.)
_________________________________
Anomie/Strain Theory
A. Like social disorganization theory, this is basically a structural or macro theory which provides an explanation of the concentration of crime in lower class urban areas and among lower class minorities, as well as the overall high crime rate in America.
B. Although the term "anomie" derives from the work of Emile Durkheim, Merton gave it a different twist. He defined it as follows: "Anomie is the form that societal malintegration takes when there is a dissociation (or disjunction) between valued cultural ends and legitimate societal means to these ends."
C. This condition of anomie (or means-ends disjunction), Merton argued, was endemic to American society.(Indeed, one could argue today that the gap is as wide as ever between the so-called "haves" and "have nots".)
1. We have a strong emphasis on success in a monetary or material sense, but not an equally strong emphasis on socially approved means, i.e., getting ahead at any cost is a preoccupation. And the disjunction between means and ends is perpetuated by continuing economic and social inequality.
(This comes out in David Callahan's book, The Cheating Culture, where he describes a winner-take-all society where rewards are great for the few and most others struggle just to get by which contributes to what he calls "trickle-down corruption.")
2. So, those groups which are blocked from legitimate means to material success feel the pressure, strain more than others and are more likely to resort to illegitimate means.
D. Acutally, Merton identified five "modes of adaptation" to this strain, not all of which are criminal or deviant:
1. Conformity: one accepts the situation; strives for success through conventional, legitimate channels. Basically, the system works for you.
2. Innovation: this is the primary criminal response. You accept the goal of success but take advantage of illegitimate means to achieve it (i.e., create your own, or innovate). This is engaged in principally by the lower class.
(But I believe, as does the author of The Cheating Culture, David Callahan, this could apply to middle or upper classes -- depends on how you define success, what circles you run in, what "making it" means to you, which obviously is going to vary from person to person. Look for the handout from this book, pp. 172-173)
3. Rebellion: you reject both the means and ends, or reject "the system" (capitalism) altogether and seek to overthrow it.
4. Retreatism: this is the escapist response. Person gives up on both the goals and means; turns to drugs or alcohol. Much to be said for this mode of adaptation as well as innovation.
5. Ritualism: (most unusual term) Person gives up on the struggle and lowers his expectations to the point where they can be satisfied through conventional means. (This is considered "deviant," or abnormal, although in many ways it seems like a very rational rsponse.)
E. By the 1950s, Merton's theory was widely accepted and believed to be especially relevant to delinquent subcultures. But there were modifications. For example:
1. Albert Cohen (1955) developed a similar theory based on "status deprivation" (rather than material deprivation). The frustration, then, is felt over being deprived of status in conventional society as measured by conventional standards of dress, speech, etc.. So, not being accepted in conventional society, lower class delinquents react negatively to these middle class standards of behavior. They turn them on their head -- become aggressive, obnoxious, malicious out of status frustration (again, not necessarily material).
(Sort of the way the Roughnecks reacted to their label which placed them outside conventional society.)
2. Cloward and Ohlin pointed out that one must consider differential access to illegitimate opportunities. More likely to react to the strain of being blocked from legitimate means by taking the illegitimate path if it is available. (eg., access to the drug trade in some inner city areas.)
F. Research on this theory offers mixed support. Looking at official figures, the inverse relationship between social class and crime does appear to hold up, espcially considering serious offenses. There is less of a difference when considering minor offenses.
1. There is even a mixed picture when we consider the relationship between unemployment and crime -- citing a couple studies from the 1980s, Prof. Akers observes: "... there is little evidence that unemployment motivates people to commit criminal acts. Moreover, crime is as likely to affect employment as vice versa." (especially these days with employers' use of drug testing.)
2. Focusing just on the "social structural correlates" of crime such as social class, poverty, unemployment, racial heterogenity, there is some fairly strong evidence for the influence of such factors. And this is seen as consistent with Merton's anomie theory.
(Although one could still point out, this does not help us to sort out why only some individuals, and far from the majority, who live in these conditions get involved in crime.)
Concluding comment about macro theories:
Despite some of the problems we've seen with both social disorganization and anomie theories (our two macro theories), I would endorse the general policy implications that Prof. Akers well describes:
"The ultimate policy implications of any structural theory is that basic social changes need to be fostered to remove the criminogenic features of economic, political, and social institutions of society. The clear implication of anomie theory, for instance, is to promote the integration of cultural goals and socially approved means, and the redistribution of opportunites in the class system."
(The Cheating Culture draws a similar conclusion.)
1. Several, mostly piecemeal, projects along the above lines have been launched over the years (eg., Job Corps) with limited results. But in many cases they have suffered from political infighting, limited funding, etc.
_______________________________________
So, this brings us, more or less, to where I'd like to be. In class tomorrow I will highlight some of the points made in these lecture notes and hand out a copy of pp. 172-173 of The Cheating Culture which contains a great description of Merton's theory. Looking forward to seeing and hearing what you came up with interms of "singing the theories."
220A
1. Identify and briefly describe 2 of the four elements of Hirschi's Social Bonding theory. (4pts)
2. What were the two main types of psychological theory of criminal behavior that I briefly presented in class? (2pts)
220B
1. How did Prof. Akers suggest we modify the old saying, "birds of a feather flock together," to make it fit Differential Association theory better? (1pt)
2. Briefly describe how the handout on "Saints and Roughnecks" fits labeling theory. (2pts)
In the remainder of this blog post I will state the passages I quoted in class yesterday on labeling theory and then provide the lecture notes I had planned to cover before the midterm exam. I'll hit some of the highlights of these notes tomorrow in class. And don't forget, tomorrow is also showtime! SINGING THE THEORIES.
Passages on Labeling theory: Howard Becker in his book, The Outsiders, describes the crux of the theory: "One of the most crucial steps in the process of building a stable pattern of deviant behavior is likely to be the experience of being caught and publicly labeled as a deviant. Whether a person takes this step or not depends not so much on what he does as on what other people do...being caught and branded as a deviant has important consequences for one's further social participation and self-image."
Prof. Akers in criticism of labeling theory: "People are labelled as delinquent, criminal, homosexual, mentally ill, drug addicts, child molesters, and so on largely on the basis of overt acts they have committed or are believed to have committed. Therefore, the deviant behavior itself is prior to and forms the basis for the stigmatizing label. The behavior creates the label more than the label creates the behavior; and subsequent deviant behavior continues the label more than the label continues the behavior."
And now back to where we left off in my lecture notes:
F. Back in the 1970s the labeling thesis did have some impact on criminal justice policy, inspiring so-called "juvenile diversion programs"-- avoid labeling juvenile offenders and thereby locking them into a life of crime. Unfortunately, studies of such diversion programs have not demonstrated much effectiveness in stopping juveniles from continuing to commit crimes.
(Nonetheless, I believe avoiding the criminal justice system, prisons especially, when possible makes sense (eg. drug courts). Most nonviolent offenders and drug abusers need help more than punishment and the stigma attached to it.)
G. Labeling theory may have been a product of its time -- it became popular in the 1960s to criticize the criminal justice system, to see it as part of the problem (which I believe was important to recognize). But by the late 1970s, it was beginning to be rejected as a more conservative mood took hold.
H. Despite the strong criticism, Prof. Akers (among others) does see some promise in Braithwaite's revision. Finally, Akers fairly, and very broadly, identifies the principal strength and weakness of labeling theory:
"The principal strength of labeling theory is that it calls attention to the unintended consequences of social control. Its principal weakness is that it essentially ignores primary deviance and seriously underestimates the influence that other variables have on behavior in the first place and continue to have on its future occurrence."
__________________________________
Social Disorganization Theory
A. This theory originated at the University of Chicago in the 1920s and it is closely associated with a broader theoretical perspective known as "urban ecology" that developed there around the same time.
1. The urban ecologists developed various models to describe the city, its growth and development. They identified certain "natural areas" or zones, some of which had distinctly higher rates of criminal behavior. Why?
2. The social disorganization theorists contended that these high crime areas were characterized by a variety of indicators of social disorganization. For example, an especially crime-prone area was the so-called "zone of transition" -- an area near the commercial core which was changing from residential to commercial. It was characterized by physical decay, poor housing, incomplete and broken families, high rates of illegitimate births and an unstable (transient) heterogeneous population -- all indicators of social disorganization. (Similar to "rooming house area")
a.) Other characteristics identified in later versions of the theory (Sampson & Groves, 1989): lack of informal friendship networks, low participation in organizations, etc.
3. Normal people trying to cope with these destabalizing, abnormal conditions tend to get involved in criminal behavior.
4. This is the first truly macro theory we've covered, placing the blame on social conditions and focusing on rates.
B. They also contended that rapid industrialization and urbanization caused this social disorganization which, in turn, undermined social control exercised through traditional social order and values.
(In some ways, I see these theorists as the 1920s and 30s version of the so-called "moral majority" of the 1980s, a group which stressed the breakdown of traditional morality, decline of the family, secualrization of society (even urbanization), etc. as giving rise to high rates of crime and deviance.)
C. Certainly, things have changed in our cities and inner cities. If anything, conditions have deteriorated even further in our inner cities especially and crime rates are higher, even if they have declined somewhat in recent years, as brought out in books such as William Julius Wilson's The Truly Disadvantaged. Yet, there is some basis to question this theory,as Prof. Akers observes ---
"To what degree the relationship between inner-city residence and crime is a result of social disorganization remains uncertain...."
"Often the research does not carefully measure social disorganization..."
"The very fact that crime and deviance are high within an area is itself sometimes used, tautologically, as an empirical indicator that the area is socially disorganized...."
Furthermore, even in those areas characterized as the most disorganized, only a minority of youths and an even smaller minority of adults are involved in crime. And this is not to mention potential racial or class bias in police practices which may inflate the degree of crime in these areas.
1. Another problem with social disorganization theory, raised many years ago by a prominent American sociologist, C. Wright Mills, was the problem of bias. In an essay entitled, "The Ideology of Social Pathologists" (late '30s), he suggested that these social disorganization theorists had a strong anti-urban bias because of their small-town, religious upbringing, which they assumed to be the basis of social order.
D. Despite its apparent bias, among other problems mentioned, I believe social disorganization theory makes some sense and it suggests the need to address poor social conditions in order to address the crime problem. (this point comes through loud and clear in Michael Massing's book, The Fix, about the drug problem.)
_________________________________
Anomie/Strain Theory
A. Like social disorganization theory, this is basically a structural or macro theory which provides an explanation of the concentration of crime in lower class urban areas and among lower class minorities, as well as the overall high crime rate in America.
B. Although the term "anomie" derives from the work of Emile Durkheim, Merton gave it a different twist. He defined it as follows: "Anomie is the form that societal malintegration takes when there is a dissociation (or disjunction) between valued cultural ends and legitimate societal means to these ends."
C. This condition of anomie (or means-ends disjunction), Merton argued, was endemic to American society.(Indeed, one could argue today that the gap is as wide as ever between the so-called "haves" and "have nots".)
1. We have a strong emphasis on success in a monetary or material sense, but not an equally strong emphasis on socially approved means, i.e., getting ahead at any cost is a preoccupation. And the disjunction between means and ends is perpetuated by continuing economic and social inequality.
(This comes out in David Callahan's book, The Cheating Culture, where he describes a winner-take-all society where rewards are great for the few and most others struggle just to get by which contributes to what he calls "trickle-down corruption.")
2. So, those groups which are blocked from legitimate means to material success feel the pressure, strain more than others and are more likely to resort to illegitimate means.
D. Acutally, Merton identified five "modes of adaptation" to this strain, not all of which are criminal or deviant:
1. Conformity: one accepts the situation; strives for success through conventional, legitimate channels. Basically, the system works for you.
2. Innovation: this is the primary criminal response. You accept the goal of success but take advantage of illegitimate means to achieve it (i.e., create your own, or innovate). This is engaged in principally by the lower class.
(But I believe, as does the author of The Cheating Culture, David Callahan, this could apply to middle or upper classes -- depends on how you define success, what circles you run in, what "making it" means to you, which obviously is going to vary from person to person. Look for the handout from this book, pp. 172-173)
3. Rebellion: you reject both the means and ends, or reject "the system" (capitalism) altogether and seek to overthrow it.
4. Retreatism: this is the escapist response. Person gives up on both the goals and means; turns to drugs or alcohol. Much to be said for this mode of adaptation as well as innovation.
5. Ritualism: (most unusual term) Person gives up on the struggle and lowers his expectations to the point where they can be satisfied through conventional means. (This is considered "deviant," or abnormal, although in many ways it seems like a very rational rsponse.)
E. By the 1950s, Merton's theory was widely accepted and believed to be especially relevant to delinquent subcultures. But there were modifications. For example:
1. Albert Cohen (1955) developed a similar theory based on "status deprivation" (rather than material deprivation). The frustration, then, is felt over being deprived of status in conventional society as measured by conventional standards of dress, speech, etc.. So, not being accepted in conventional society, lower class delinquents react negatively to these middle class standards of behavior. They turn them on their head -- become aggressive, obnoxious, malicious out of status frustration (again, not necessarily material).
(Sort of the way the Roughnecks reacted to their label which placed them outside conventional society.)
2. Cloward and Ohlin pointed out that one must consider differential access to illegitimate opportunities. More likely to react to the strain of being blocked from legitimate means by taking the illegitimate path if it is available. (eg., access to the drug trade in some inner city areas.)
F. Research on this theory offers mixed support. Looking at official figures, the inverse relationship between social class and crime does appear to hold up, espcially considering serious offenses. There is less of a difference when considering minor offenses.
1. There is even a mixed picture when we consider the relationship between unemployment and crime -- citing a couple studies from the 1980s, Prof. Akers observes: "... there is little evidence that unemployment motivates people to commit criminal acts. Moreover, crime is as likely to affect employment as vice versa." (especially these days with employers' use of drug testing.)
2. Focusing just on the "social structural correlates" of crime such as social class, poverty, unemployment, racial heterogenity, there is some fairly strong evidence for the influence of such factors. And this is seen as consistent with Merton's anomie theory.
(Although one could still point out, this does not help us to sort out why only some individuals, and far from the majority, who live in these conditions get involved in crime.)
Concluding comment about macro theories:
Despite some of the problems we've seen with both social disorganization and anomie theories (our two macro theories), I would endorse the general policy implications that Prof. Akers well describes:
"The ultimate policy implications of any structural theory is that basic social changes need to be fostered to remove the criminogenic features of economic, political, and social institutions of society. The clear implication of anomie theory, for instance, is to promote the integration of cultural goals and socially approved means, and the redistribution of opportunites in the class system."
(The Cheating Culture draws a similar conclusion.)
1. Several, mostly piecemeal, projects along the above lines have been launched over the years (eg., Job Corps) with limited results. But in many cases they have suffered from political infighting, limited funding, etc.
_______________________________________
So, this brings us, more or less, to where I'd like to be. In class tomorrow I will highlight some of the points made in these lecture notes and hand out a copy of pp. 172-173 of The Cheating Culture which contains a great description of Merton's theory. Looking forward to seeing and hearing what you came up with interms of "singing the theories."
Friday, October 5, 2007
Reminders for Next Week
As I believe I mentioned yesterday, we are going to brainstorm some more questions on Tuesday, so please give some thought to short answer questions you believe should be on the midterm. We'll also get back to the theories. We still have three main theories to cover: Labeling, Social Disorganization, and Anomie; and I will also briefly outline some contemporary perspectives. I am anticipating that I may have to post some of this lecture material on the blog. On Thursday, of course, we will have our "singing the theories" contest, as well as review for the midterm exam which will be coming up the following Tuesday, Oct. 16th.Finally, I trust I have collected all of your essays. If not, get it to me ASAP; don't wait until next Tuesday. I hope to have them back on Tuesday, but given the time it has taken me to get through two sets of essays in my afternoon classes I may have to postpone handing them back until Thursday.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Reminder of Key Dates & Exam Questions
First, let me take this opportunity to remind you of the key dates I wrote on the board yesterday. They were: Tuesday, Oct. 2nd - handout first essay assignment
Thursday, Oct. 11th - "singing the theories"
Tuesday, Oct. 16th - midterm exam (tentative)
Also, let me state the questions that were selected to appear on the midterm exam. I have changed the wording of some of them to clarify them and in one case I decided to delete one part of a question. Sometime prior to the exam we will discuss the answers to each of these questions.
220A: (1) Briefly explain the difference between "macro" and "micro" level theories. (2pts) Green family
(2) State the three main components of Routine Activities Theory which constitute the circumstances which lead to criminal behavior. How did Akers criticize this theory? (4pts) Blue family
220B: (1) What are the three main components of Routine Activities Theory which constitute the right circumstances for criminal behavior? (3pts) Green family
(2) What was Matza's definition of deviance? (1pt) Green family
That's all for now. See you next Tuesday.
Thursday, Oct. 11th - "singing the theories"
Tuesday, Oct. 16th - midterm exam (tentative)
Also, let me state the questions that were selected to appear on the midterm exam. I have changed the wording of some of them to clarify them and in one case I decided to delete one part of a question. Sometime prior to the exam we will discuss the answers to each of these questions.
220A: (1) Briefly explain the difference between "macro" and "micro" level theories. (2pts) Green family
(2) State the three main components of Routine Activities Theory which constitute the circumstances which lead to criminal behavior. How did Akers criticize this theory? (4pts) Blue family
220B: (1) What are the three main components of Routine Activities Theory which constitute the right circumstances for criminal behavior? (3pts) Green family
(2) What was Matza's definition of deviance? (1pt) Green family
That's all for now. See you next Tuesday.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Critical Observation on Biological and Psychological Theories
I'd like to use this post to underscore a critical point about both biological and psychological theories (which I did manage to squeeze in yesterday in 220A, although not in 220B). I believe that neither theory by itself (or even together) can offer a completely adequate explanation of criminal and deviant behavior for one basic reason that: the individual is not a separate and distinct biological or psychological being, but is also a social and cultural being. That is to say, the individual is really a system of relations, which includes the social and cultural dimension as well as the biological and psychological. And given the fact that crime and deviance are a matter of social definition, that would suggest that the social dimension is ultimately more important than the biological and psychological in explaining this behavior. Indeed, I believe most biologists and psychologists would concede this point.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wrapping up Deterrence/Rational Choice/Routine Actitivities Theories
First, let me congratulate everyone for posting a comment on the blog. Now you know how to do this and how easy it is, feel free to post comments and questions whenever you want and I will probably also give you some additional opportunites to earn activity points for this.
I want to use the remainder of this blog to wrap up what I did not get a chance to wrap up in class this morning. What follows are lecture notes I had hoped to get to, so please read this and perhaps write them out or print them and insert them in your class notes.
In the final analysis, I believe it can be said that Routine Activities Theory is more a theory of criminal victimization than a theory of criminal behavior, because the theory starts with the assumption that there are people motivated to commit crime and does not explain that or address the source of that motivation or inclination.
Finally, there can be no doubt that deterrence theory (and related theories) has had an obvious impact on criminal justice policy. It is generally believe that certain, swift, and especially severe penalties for criminal acts will reduce crime in society. The popular ("knee-jerk") approach of politicians over the past 30 years or so has been to "get tough," which is reflected in such policies as: (1) restoration of capital punishment, (2) "three strikes and you're out", (3) mandatory minimum sentences, etc.
(1) However, looking at the fact of our exploding prison population (4 times higher than in 1980) and seeing that overall crime rates are higher than they were in the 1970s, would lead one to question this theory, among the other critical points we made earlier questioning the view of individuals as rational, calculating actors.
(2) Some other versions of "get tough" scare tactics are programs such as "shock incarceration" or "Scared Straight" which have not been as successful as they were first believed to be. In fact in the case of Scared Straight, follow-up research found that the juveniles who were exposed to convicted criminals in Rahway State Prison in New Jersey and were told about the horrors of their lives and prison were more likely to commit crimes later than the control group of juveniles who did not have this experience. It was pointed out by some of these researchers that: "With the best of intentions, the lifers at Rahway can't transform city schools, poor and broken families, jobless summers." In other words, scare tactics (or exaggerating the costs of crime) can only go so far and are not likely to overcome the effect of other powerful social factors which lead juveniles to engage in crime. All of which tends to undermine any theory based on the notion that individuals rationally weigh the costs and benefits of their actions.
So, this then brings us to Biological theories which we will pick up with on Tuesday (9/25).
Finally, I forgot to mention in class this morning that next week I will be calling on the families to begin making up some exam questions. See you next week....
I want to use the remainder of this blog to wrap up what I did not get a chance to wrap up in class this morning. What follows are lecture notes I had hoped to get to, so please read this and perhaps write them out or print them and insert them in your class notes.
In the final analysis, I believe it can be said that Routine Activities Theory is more a theory of criminal victimization than a theory of criminal behavior, because the theory starts with the assumption that there are people motivated to commit crime and does not explain that or address the source of that motivation or inclination.
Finally, there can be no doubt that deterrence theory (and related theories) has had an obvious impact on criminal justice policy. It is generally believe that certain, swift, and especially severe penalties for criminal acts will reduce crime in society. The popular ("knee-jerk") approach of politicians over the past 30 years or so has been to "get tough," which is reflected in such policies as: (1) restoration of capital punishment, (2) "three strikes and you're out", (3) mandatory minimum sentences, etc.
(1) However, looking at the fact of our exploding prison population (4 times higher than in 1980) and seeing that overall crime rates are higher than they were in the 1970s, would lead one to question this theory, among the other critical points we made earlier questioning the view of individuals as rational, calculating actors.
(2) Some other versions of "get tough" scare tactics are programs such as "shock incarceration" or "Scared Straight" which have not been as successful as they were first believed to be. In fact in the case of Scared Straight, follow-up research found that the juveniles who were exposed to convicted criminals in Rahway State Prison in New Jersey and were told about the horrors of their lives and prison were more likely to commit crimes later than the control group of juveniles who did not have this experience. It was pointed out by some of these researchers that: "With the best of intentions, the lifers at Rahway can't transform city schools, poor and broken families, jobless summers." In other words, scare tactics (or exaggerating the costs of crime) can only go so far and are not likely to overcome the effect of other powerful social factors which lead juveniles to engage in crime. All of which tends to undermine any theory based on the notion that individuals rationally weigh the costs and benefits of their actions.
So, this then brings us to Biological theories which we will pick up with on Tuesday (9/25).
Finally, I forgot to mention in class this morning that next week I will be calling on the families to begin making up some exam questions. See you next week....
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
"Singing the Theories" Again & Passages on Deterrence/Rational Choice
First, a quick response to a comment on "Singing the Theories." Dr. Thurmond's little ditty is an example of making up an original song based on an existing melody. However, you are also welcome to use an existing song which fits one of the theories.
Second, I want to share with you a couple of passages from different sources which cast a critical light on deterrence/rational choice theory. I will probably quote these in class, but you will have the verbatim quote here to review when need be.
First, from The Mythology of Crime and Criminal Justice (4th ed.): "If prison terms deterred further criminality, we would expect that people who go to prison would be among the least likely to return there. However, the fact is that within 3 years of release from prison 47 percent were reconvicted of a new crime (Langan & Levin, 2002)."
"So the commonsense logic of deterrence is neither logical nor sensible. It is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of both criminals and crime. For deterrence to work, the offender must be a logical actor who understands the consequences of criminal behavior, knows the penalties, and weighs the cons of crime against the benefits of crime. Logic and calm reflection are simply not parts of the crime equation. In addition, a sizable number of offenders are people without hope, living in desperate circumstances. They are the poor, the unemployed, the uneducated, and the socially alienated. Fear of prison is a relatively minor consideration when stacked up against the hopelessness of their day-to-day existence. Yet, police and politicians continue to pledge eradication of mythical crime problems through more law and order and more punishment." (pp. 362-363)
From Prof. Ronald Akers: "Does an offender choose to commit a crime with full knowledge and free will, taking into account only a carefully reasoned...set of costs and benefits? If it is this kind of pure rationality that rational choice theory assumes, then the theory has virtually no empirical validity. The purely rational calculation of the probable consequences of an action is a rarity even among the general conforming public."
Finally, from Drug War Heresies: "Expected legal risks do have an influence on decisions, but their effects are considerably more muted than generally assumed. Part of the problem is that people just do not seem to combine information in the manner suggested by rational choice theories. For example, Carroll (1978) found that when evaluating hypothetical crime opportunities, few adult and juvenile offenders focused on more than one of the four key deterrence factors: probablity of success, amount of gain, probablity of capture, and size of penalty."
"And the factors that do matter are more likely to involve carrots than sticks. Studies comparing the relative influence of the rewards and risks of crime suggest that criminal gains are more influential than penalties, and the probablity of success is more influential than the probablity of capture...."
One reason gains generally loom larger than risks is that the gains tend to be immediate, whereas legal sanctions are not only uncertain but also in the remote future. Criminal offenders are particularly prone to impulsiveness and an inability to delay gratification."
Second, I want to share with you a couple of passages from different sources which cast a critical light on deterrence/rational choice theory. I will probably quote these in class, but you will have the verbatim quote here to review when need be.
First, from The Mythology of Crime and Criminal Justice (4th ed.): "If prison terms deterred further criminality, we would expect that people who go to prison would be among the least likely to return there. However, the fact is that within 3 years of release from prison 47 percent were reconvicted of a new crime (Langan & Levin, 2002)."
"So the commonsense logic of deterrence is neither logical nor sensible. It is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of both criminals and crime. For deterrence to work, the offender must be a logical actor who understands the consequences of criminal behavior, knows the penalties, and weighs the cons of crime against the benefits of crime. Logic and calm reflection are simply not parts of the crime equation. In addition, a sizable number of offenders are people without hope, living in desperate circumstances. They are the poor, the unemployed, the uneducated, and the socially alienated. Fear of prison is a relatively minor consideration when stacked up against the hopelessness of their day-to-day existence. Yet, police and politicians continue to pledge eradication of mythical crime problems through more law and order and more punishment." (pp. 362-363)
From Prof. Ronald Akers: "Does an offender choose to commit a crime with full knowledge and free will, taking into account only a carefully reasoned...set of costs and benefits? If it is this kind of pure rationality that rational choice theory assumes, then the theory has virtually no empirical validity. The purely rational calculation of the probable consequences of an action is a rarity even among the general conforming public."
Finally, from Drug War Heresies: "Expected legal risks do have an influence on decisions, but their effects are considerably more muted than generally assumed. Part of the problem is that people just do not seem to combine information in the manner suggested by rational choice theories. For example, Carroll (1978) found that when evaluating hypothetical crime opportunities, few adult and juvenile offenders focused on more than one of the four key deterrence factors: probablity of success, amount of gain, probablity of capture, and size of penalty."
"And the factors that do matter are more likely to involve carrots than sticks. Studies comparing the relative influence of the rewards and risks of crime suggest that criminal gains are more influential than penalties, and the probablity of success is more influential than the probablity of capture...."
One reason gains generally loom larger than risks is that the gains tend to be immediate, whereas legal sanctions are not only uncertain but also in the remote future. Criminal offenders are particularly prone to impulsiveness and an inability to delay gratification."
Friday, September 14, 2007
Singing the Theories
I got the distinct impression yesterday that many of you were not too thrilled about the family activity I described yesterday in class. Some may think it an impossible task. But I don't think so, and you should also consider having some fun with this. So, to provide an example, Dr. Thurmond has allowed me to share with you one of his latest little ditties which was commissioned by one of his colleagues who eats lunch outside with Dr. Thurmond and others. It is entitled "Oeurve Hernie" and is sung to the tune of Wofford's anthem. The first two verses go:
On our bodies ' southern borders
Reared beneath our skin
Is the thing there that unites us
Makes us brothers, kin.
Oh Ye hernias
Abide forever
Not begotten, but made!
By lugging heavy Wofford benches
From the sun to shade.......
I hope that gives you some inspiration. We'll begin to talk about the theories I listed on the board next Tuesday (9/18). Here's the list again in case you missed it:
1. Deterrence
2. Rational Choice
3. Routine Activities
4. Biological
5. Psychological
6. Differential Association (or Social Learning)
7. Social Bonding or Control
8. Labeling (or Societal Reaction)
9. Social Disorganization
10. Anomie (or Strain)
I have read several of the comments posted already, and look forward to the rest of you posting your comments. Have a good weekend.
On our bodies ' southern borders
Reared beneath our skin
Is the thing there that unites us
Makes us brothers, kin.
Oh Ye hernias
Abide forever
Not begotten, but made!
By lugging heavy Wofford benches
From the sun to shade.......
I hope that gives you some inspiration. We'll begin to talk about the theories I listed on the board next Tuesday (9/18). Here's the list again in case you missed it:
1. Deterrence
2. Rational Choice
3. Routine Activities
4. Biological
5. Psychological
6. Differential Association (or Social Learning)
7. Social Bonding or Control
8. Labeling (or Societal Reaction)
9. Social Disorganization
10. Anomie (or Strain)
I have read several of the comments posted already, and look forward to the rest of you posting your comments. Have a good weekend.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Discussion topic: crime statistics
Something to think about: why do you think the FBI does not vouch for the accuracy of the statistics it publishes in The Uniform Crime Reports?
Please comment on this question or the comments of your classmates.
Please comment on this question or the comments of your classmates.
Welcome to the Soc. 220 blog
This blog will be a space for you to make comments, ask questions, and generally exchange information about criminal and deviant behavior.
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