Before I describe our final family activity, let me call your attention to the description of essay III on the previous blog post, which you want to check out.
FINAL FAMILY ACTIVITY: MAKING UP QUESTIONS FOR THE FINAL EXAM
The families need to start thinking about final exam questions. Specifically, I want each of the families to submit FIVE SHORT-ANSWER questions (and answers) from material we've covered since the midterm exam (THE YELLOW FAMILY ONLY NEEDS TO SUBMIT THREE QUESTIONS, SINCE YOU ALREADY SUBMITTED QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER 7, SOME OF WHICH WILL BE ON FINAL EXAM). Recall that right after the midterm exam, we talked about Chapter 7 in Crime Types. I will be posting the questions and answers which I accepted from those which the Yellow family submitted after their presentation. Also remember that I had a follow-up to the Chapter 7 report posted on the blog, and I covered Chapters 8 & 9 in class and on the blog. For "Gang Leader for a Day," you may make up questions based on the family responses to those three questions, the best of which I posted on the blog. I also highlighted some points from the book in class at the very end of our discussion. The other material to be covered will be some general comments I made about the drug issue and our discussion of "Tulia" during the next two weeks. Remember, I plan on getting through that book in class and/or on the blog before the end of the semester. You should have an idea of what I mean by "short-answer questions," based on the questions you submitted for the midterm, as well as the midterm exam itself.
Our final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, 12/13, of Final Exam Week, from 9-12. I will need your proposed questions NO LATER THAN THURSDAY, DEC. 8TH AT 3PM (that being the day of our last class meeting). I will look over your submissions and try to accept at least two from each family; any more than two I accept will earn your family bonus points. I will, then, post the questions and answers I accepted on this blog by SUNDAY, DEC. 11TH, so you will be able to review them for the final exam. This exercise is worth 6 activity points, plus whatever bonus points you may earn. YOU MUST PARTICIPATE IN ORDER TO EARN THESE POINTS, AND KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS A FAMILY EXERCISE, SO I DO NOT WANT INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSIONS FROM FAMILY MEMBERS. AND I WILL ONLY CONSIDER 5 SUCH QUESTIONS.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Essay III Description
As I noted during our class before the break, I might post the description of our final short essay assignment before our next class meeting. Well, here it is --
Essay III
11/28/11
A. In the context of the early trials and convictions of the Tulia defendants, which resulted in exceedingly long sentences (covered up to Part Three, p. 179 in the book), I want you to write a 3-page essay discussing how such an obvious miscarriage of justice was possible. Specifically, I want you to identify and discuss any TWO factors which contributed to this miscarriage 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. As noted above, the essay should be roughly 3 pages. Be sure to indicate page number(s) of any passage(s) from the book which you quote in your essay.
C. This essay is due on TUESDAY, DEC. 6TH. It is worth 25 points.
Essay III
11/28/11
A. In the context of the early trials and convictions of the Tulia defendants, which resulted in exceedingly long sentences (covered up to Part Three, p. 179 in the book), I want you to write a 3-page essay discussing how such an obvious miscarriage of justice was possible. Specifically, I want you to identify and discuss any TWO factors which contributed to this miscarriage 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. As noted above, the essay should be roughly 3 pages. Be sure to indicate page number(s) of any passage(s) from the book which you quote in your essay.
C. This essay is due on TUESDAY, DEC. 6TH. It is worth 25 points.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Family Responses to "Gang Leader for a Day" Questions
Below are the responses that I selected as best. I did a bit of editing, and you'll note that I selected more than one family's responses for each question. At the end I indicate the bonus points that I awarded the families for their work. Finally, REMEMBER THAT I WILL BE MAKING UP SOME FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS FROM THESE RESPONSES, AS WELL AS FROM THE POINTS I HIGHLIGHTED IN CLASS YESTERDAY (11/17).
1. What did you find was the MOST SURPRISING FACT OR OBSERVATION in the book, and WHY?
RED FAMILY: We found the most surprising fact or observation in the book to be that violence isn't always the only way to solve problems between gangs. We were surprised to find that a police officer and a pastor were mediating between the two gangs and were helping to decide what the (informal) consequences should be for the gang that initiated the drive-by shooting. This surprised us because you typically think of gangs resorting to violence as the only way to solve issues. Also, it was surprising because the police officer and pastor were trying to mediate between criminals without punishing them or (openly) passing any sort of judgment on them. Finally, this fact surprised us because the informal agreement between the two gangs was actually reached (one gang couldn't earn money selling drugs for a week) and the agreement was followed by the two gangs, indicating some basic level of respect.
a.) Some credit goes to the Yellow family for making basically the same point, but not quite as well.
BLACK FAMILY: I believe the most surprising fact or observation was how the gang and J.T. in particular accepted Sudhir. Sudhir was able to rise through the ranks and befriend gang members and see how they work, live, and play. It was amazing how they let an outsider come in and eventually run the gang for a very brief period of time. I would have never believed that an outsider had the potential to infiltrate a gang and study them at the same time, but Sudhir did it. With the odds stacked against him, Sudhir managed to prevail and complete a detailed study, while at the same time develop amazing relationships with those around him.
BLUE FAMILY (less credit): The complex infrastructure of the gangs -- that they are run more like businesses with bosses and a lower level workforce. At the bottom of this system are the younger teenagers dealing drugs, who do the dirtiest, most difficult work for the lowest pay. J.T. would go around and check on these lower level workers to make sure they were doing their jobs. Even more challenging, J.T. had to find a way to motivate them despite the low pay.
2. What do you believe is the MOST INSIGHTFUL PASSAGE in the book (no more than a paragraph long), and WHY?
GREEN FAMILY: "I had been hanging around J.T. and his gang for several months by now, and I'd never seen J.T. engage in violence. I felt like his scribe, tailing a powerful leader who liked to joke with the tenants and, when he needed to be assertive, did so quietly. I was naive, I suppose, but I had somehow persuaded myself that just because I hadn't seen any violence, it didn't exist. Now, I HAD seen a different side of his power, a far less polished presentation." (p. 63)
This dealt with Sudhir's reaction to J.T.'s beating of C-Note. Up until this point, Sudhir leads the reader to believe that the Black Kings are this benevolent organization providing law and order in their community. Granted, I knew they dealt with drugs and racketeering, but I still found myself constantly thinking how beneficial they were to the Robert Taylor Homes. After this beating and Sudhir's reaction, it was as if I was suddenly brought back to reality that this is a gang. While gangs may provide certain benefits to a community, criminal and cruel activity still goes on.
RED FAMILY: We found the most insightful passage in the book on p. 43, when Ms. Mae (J.T.'s mom) said: "We live in a COMMUNITY, understand? Not the PROJECTS -- I hate that word. We live in a COMMUNITY. We need a helping hand now and then, but who doesn't? Everyone in this building helps as much as they can. We share our food, just like I'm doing with you."
We found this passage to be insightful because it gives a little different perspective of the Robert Taylor Homes area that is usually just thought to be a crime-ridden area where gangs battle and sell illegal drugs. The passage brings to light that gang members aren't the only people who live in the Robert Taylor Homes area and that those other people who live there do not want to be pitied by others as they struggle to survive just like everyone else in other communities. The passage also brings to light the fact that, although illegal behavior may be involved, the people of the Robert Taylor Homes area are in fact a community committed to helping one another.
BLACK FAMILY: "My mind raced as they spoke. I couldn't believe that a religious leader and a police officer were not only watching this mediation but were actually FACILITATING it. What incentive did they have to do so -- and what would happen if people from the community found out they were helping gang leaders settle their disputes? I was also struck by how levelheaded everyone seemed, even J.T. and Mayne, as if they'd been through this before. These were the same two gang leaders, after all, who had been trying to kill each other, quite literally, with drive-by shootings. I wondered if one of them might even pull a gun here at any moment. Perhaps the strangest thing was how sanguine the community leaders were about the fact that these men sold crack cocaine for a living. But at this moment it seemed that pragmatism was more important than moralism." (p. 109)
Counters the stereotypes of middle and upper class people that gangs are all about violence and consist of ignorant thugs. When in reality this paragraph shows how powerful and feared these gangs are and not only because they can be violent but because they are organized, intelligent, and difficult to understand or predict. Sudhir comments on how "levelheaded" the two gang leaders appear to be, which shows that these gangs are really just a business that happens to operate outside the realm of the law.
3. What do you believe is the MOST IMPORTANT LESSON to be drawn from the book in terms of understanding and dealing with gangs?
BLACK FAMILY: Gang life seems to be a source of primary socialization of sorts and has therefore soldified its position in many communities. The gang serves as an institution that provides rules and structure to social and economic practices in areas where many of these traditional structures are failing or absent. This, therefore, explains why gangs are so difficult to deal with from a law enforcement standpoint.
GREEN FAMILY: The most important lesson in terms of understanding and dealing with gangs is to never judge a book by its cover....Venkatesh shows...that gangs are not always what they seem and even participate in organizations that give back to the community.
YELLOW FAMILY: The most important lesson to be drawn from the book in terms of understanding and dealing with gangs is the fact that gangs are organized groups that have a strong focus on money and unity.
Bonus points:
BLACK FAMILY - 3PTS
RED FAMILY - 2PTS
GREEN FAMILY - 2PTS
YELLOW FAMILY - 1PT
BLUE FAMILY - 1PT
____________________________
That's all for now. See you next week when we will see the documentary on Tulia and the famous Zapruder film of the JFK assassination.
1. What did you find was the MOST SURPRISING FACT OR OBSERVATION in the book, and WHY?
RED FAMILY: We found the most surprising fact or observation in the book to be that violence isn't always the only way to solve problems between gangs. We were surprised to find that a police officer and a pastor were mediating between the two gangs and were helping to decide what the (informal) consequences should be for the gang that initiated the drive-by shooting. This surprised us because you typically think of gangs resorting to violence as the only way to solve issues. Also, it was surprising because the police officer and pastor were trying to mediate between criminals without punishing them or (openly) passing any sort of judgment on them. Finally, this fact surprised us because the informal agreement between the two gangs was actually reached (one gang couldn't earn money selling drugs for a week) and the agreement was followed by the two gangs, indicating some basic level of respect.
a.) Some credit goes to the Yellow family for making basically the same point, but not quite as well.
BLACK FAMILY: I believe the most surprising fact or observation was how the gang and J.T. in particular accepted Sudhir. Sudhir was able to rise through the ranks and befriend gang members and see how they work, live, and play. It was amazing how they let an outsider come in and eventually run the gang for a very brief period of time. I would have never believed that an outsider had the potential to infiltrate a gang and study them at the same time, but Sudhir did it. With the odds stacked against him, Sudhir managed to prevail and complete a detailed study, while at the same time develop amazing relationships with those around him.
BLUE FAMILY (less credit): The complex infrastructure of the gangs -- that they are run more like businesses with bosses and a lower level workforce. At the bottom of this system are the younger teenagers dealing drugs, who do the dirtiest, most difficult work for the lowest pay. J.T. would go around and check on these lower level workers to make sure they were doing their jobs. Even more challenging, J.T. had to find a way to motivate them despite the low pay.
2. What do you believe is the MOST INSIGHTFUL PASSAGE in the book (no more than a paragraph long), and WHY?
GREEN FAMILY: "I had been hanging around J.T. and his gang for several months by now, and I'd never seen J.T. engage in violence. I felt like his scribe, tailing a powerful leader who liked to joke with the tenants and, when he needed to be assertive, did so quietly. I was naive, I suppose, but I had somehow persuaded myself that just because I hadn't seen any violence, it didn't exist. Now, I HAD seen a different side of his power, a far less polished presentation." (p. 63)
This dealt with Sudhir's reaction to J.T.'s beating of C-Note. Up until this point, Sudhir leads the reader to believe that the Black Kings are this benevolent organization providing law and order in their community. Granted, I knew they dealt with drugs and racketeering, but I still found myself constantly thinking how beneficial they were to the Robert Taylor Homes. After this beating and Sudhir's reaction, it was as if I was suddenly brought back to reality that this is a gang. While gangs may provide certain benefits to a community, criminal and cruel activity still goes on.
RED FAMILY: We found the most insightful passage in the book on p. 43, when Ms. Mae (J.T.'s mom) said: "We live in a COMMUNITY, understand? Not the PROJECTS -- I hate that word. We live in a COMMUNITY. We need a helping hand now and then, but who doesn't? Everyone in this building helps as much as they can. We share our food, just like I'm doing with you."
We found this passage to be insightful because it gives a little different perspective of the Robert Taylor Homes area that is usually just thought to be a crime-ridden area where gangs battle and sell illegal drugs. The passage brings to light that gang members aren't the only people who live in the Robert Taylor Homes area and that those other people who live there do not want to be pitied by others as they struggle to survive just like everyone else in other communities. The passage also brings to light the fact that, although illegal behavior may be involved, the people of the Robert Taylor Homes area are in fact a community committed to helping one another.
BLACK FAMILY: "My mind raced as they spoke. I couldn't believe that a religious leader and a police officer were not only watching this mediation but were actually FACILITATING it. What incentive did they have to do so -- and what would happen if people from the community found out they were helping gang leaders settle their disputes? I was also struck by how levelheaded everyone seemed, even J.T. and Mayne, as if they'd been through this before. These were the same two gang leaders, after all, who had been trying to kill each other, quite literally, with drive-by shootings. I wondered if one of them might even pull a gun here at any moment. Perhaps the strangest thing was how sanguine the community leaders were about the fact that these men sold crack cocaine for a living. But at this moment it seemed that pragmatism was more important than moralism." (p. 109)
Counters the stereotypes of middle and upper class people that gangs are all about violence and consist of ignorant thugs. When in reality this paragraph shows how powerful and feared these gangs are and not only because they can be violent but because they are organized, intelligent, and difficult to understand or predict. Sudhir comments on how "levelheaded" the two gang leaders appear to be, which shows that these gangs are really just a business that happens to operate outside the realm of the law.
3. What do you believe is the MOST IMPORTANT LESSON to be drawn from the book in terms of understanding and dealing with gangs?
BLACK FAMILY: Gang life seems to be a source of primary socialization of sorts and has therefore soldified its position in many communities. The gang serves as an institution that provides rules and structure to social and economic practices in areas where many of these traditional structures are failing or absent. This, therefore, explains why gangs are so difficult to deal with from a law enforcement standpoint.
GREEN FAMILY: The most important lesson in terms of understanding and dealing with gangs is to never judge a book by its cover....Venkatesh shows...that gangs are not always what they seem and even participate in organizations that give back to the community.
YELLOW FAMILY: The most important lesson to be drawn from the book in terms of understanding and dealing with gangs is the fact that gangs are organized groups that have a strong focus on money and unity.
Bonus points:
BLACK FAMILY - 3PTS
RED FAMILY - 2PTS
GREEN FAMILY - 2PTS
YELLOW FAMILY - 1PT
BLUE FAMILY - 1PT
____________________________
That's all for now. See you next week when we will see the documentary on Tulia and the famous Zapruder film of the JFK assassination.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Final Lecture Notes on Chapters 8 & 9 in Crime Types
CHAPTER 8: CRIME WITHIN COMPLEX ORGANIZATIONS
Let me add just a few points to those I brought out in class lecture on Tuesday (Nov. 1).
Article #19: "The Crash of ValuJet Flight 592: A Case Study in State-Corporate Crime"
A. This article brings together the private and public sectors -- remiss federal regulators bear part of the blame here.
B. Orgamizational crime theorists have relied on THREE basic concepts to explain the crimes committed by private corporations and governments. At the very bottom of p. 333, the authors note: "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 absence or weakness of social control mechanisms." (pp. 333-334) It appears that the above passage brings together at least three of the major theories of criminal behavior that we discussed earlier; namely, ANOMIE, SOCIAL CONTROL (OR BONDING), AND ROUTINE ACTIVITIES.
1. They even go as far to suggest that: "...the goal of capital accumulation can be a highly criminogenic force for organizations." (p. 334), which alludes to ANOMIE theory.
C. "A basic tenet of organizational crime theory is that low levels of external social control (i.e., regulation or press scrutiny) provides opportunities to engage in crime." (p. 335) I highlight this because it fits the case of the Kennedy assassination. The Warren Commission (the official body which investigated the crime) did their work in secret, leaked conclusions to the press on occasion,and generally speaking, were handled with kid gloves by the media. The FBI was unchallenged, and there was no real congressional oversight. So the WC was able to get away with lying and misrepresentation of their own evidence.
***the other articles in this section are interesting, but I am not going to go into them, except to observe that both of them put crime in a broader cultural context, or that the individual cannot be the basis for explaining these crimes.
CHAPTER 9: PATTERNS AND PROSPECTS
A. Dabney makes a valuable point right in the opening paragraph of this chapter. He reminds us that to understand criminal behavior or these various crime types, we must consider THREE interdependent parts of the CRIMINAL EVENT (OFFENDERS, VICTIMS, AND SETTINGS). This is intended to counter the common superficial, unidimensional approach which doesn't even distinguish between various types of crime. SEE THE WHOLE 1ST PARAGRAPH, P. 363.
1. He basically goes on to flesh out this outline, reminding us of the similarities and differences between various crime types.
B. This culminates with a broad (and I believe, appropriate) statement of how this understanding of crime can be applied to controlling or preventing it. SEE "FUTURE PROSPECTS," P. 370. Basically, Dabney questions any "silver-bullet" approach to crime prevention. Prevention and control strategies must be flexible and geared to specific crime types.
C. In addition to the above points from the author's conclusion, I would like to highlight several broad points based largely on my follow-up commentaries on each of the chapters. (OBVIOUSLY, IN TYING SOME POINTS TOGETHER, YOU MIGHT WANT TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THESE POINTS AS YOU PREPARE FOR THE FINAL EXAM.)
1. Reflecting back on our early discussion of crime atatistics, it is interesting to note that this text makes lots of use of NCVS statistics as a supplement to or even substitute for crime reports, such as the FBI's UCR. Of course, there were a couple exceptions to this (eg., in the case of homicide, obviously, and public order crimes which are considered "victimless.")
2. In most cases of the different crime types, there was a clear, POSITIVE CORRELATION between an urban environment (more urban) and higher crime rates, which gives some general support to social disorganization theory.
3. The disproportionate involvement of minorities, especially black males, in violent and property crimes. This is important to acknowledge, but at the same time it is also important to note that this is not about race per se but mainly about where minorities are concentrated in our society, in economically and socially depressed urban areas.
4. The rate of recidivism for most street criminals is very high -- ranging from roughly 40-70% for different crime types. This would suggest that we have a lot of work to do to improve our ability to rehabilitate these offenders both IN and OUT of prison (the documentary we saw, "A Hard Straight," is relevant here). Indeed, prisons may not be the best environment to rehabilitate many criminals.
5. Rationalization (or neutralization) of criminal behavior; emphasis on instant gratification ("life as party"); involvement of alcohol, drugs, and guns are characteristics of crime that come through time and again in the many interviews with various kinds of convicted criminals.
6. In addition to formal control efforts mounted by the police, each chapter recognized the role of INFORMAL SCOIAL CONTROL. Indeed, in some cases, just the willingness to report more crime would be a big step forward.
7. Finally, I do believe, as Chapter 8 highlights, that organizations (not just indivivduals) are capable of committing criminal acts. Here again, we need to take a broader approach than most people do.
_____________________________
That wraps up "Crime Types." Hope to see everyone next week when we begin to discuss "Gang Leader for a Day." Again, as I stressed in class, check out the family activity in connection with reading that book, as well as the Essay II topic I handed out in class last week.
Let me add just a few points to those I brought out in class lecture on Tuesday (Nov. 1).
Article #19: "The Crash of ValuJet Flight 592: A Case Study in State-Corporate Crime"
A. This article brings together the private and public sectors -- remiss federal regulators bear part of the blame here.
B. Orgamizational crime theorists have relied on THREE basic concepts to explain the crimes committed by private corporations and governments. At the very bottom of p. 333, the authors note: "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 absence or weakness of social control mechanisms." (pp. 333-334) It appears that the above passage brings together at least three of the major theories of criminal behavior that we discussed earlier; namely, ANOMIE, SOCIAL CONTROL (OR BONDING), AND ROUTINE ACTIVITIES.
1. They even go as far to suggest that: "...the goal of capital accumulation can be a highly criminogenic force for organizations." (p. 334), which alludes to ANOMIE theory.
C. "A basic tenet of organizational crime theory is that low levels of external social control (i.e., regulation or press scrutiny) provides opportunities to engage in crime." (p. 335) I highlight this because it fits the case of the Kennedy assassination. The Warren Commission (the official body which investigated the crime) did their work in secret, leaked conclusions to the press on occasion,and generally speaking, were handled with kid gloves by the media. The FBI was unchallenged, and there was no real congressional oversight. So the WC was able to get away with lying and misrepresentation of their own evidence.
***the other articles in this section are interesting, but I am not going to go into them, except to observe that both of them put crime in a broader cultural context, or that the individual cannot be the basis for explaining these crimes.
CHAPTER 9: PATTERNS AND PROSPECTS
A. Dabney makes a valuable point right in the opening paragraph of this chapter. He reminds us that to understand criminal behavior or these various crime types, we must consider THREE interdependent parts of the CRIMINAL EVENT (OFFENDERS, VICTIMS, AND SETTINGS). This is intended to counter the common superficial, unidimensional approach which doesn't even distinguish between various types of crime. SEE THE WHOLE 1ST PARAGRAPH, P. 363.
1. He basically goes on to flesh out this outline, reminding us of the similarities and differences between various crime types.
B. This culminates with a broad (and I believe, appropriate) statement of how this understanding of crime can be applied to controlling or preventing it. SEE "FUTURE PROSPECTS," P. 370. Basically, Dabney questions any "silver-bullet" approach to crime prevention. Prevention and control strategies must be flexible and geared to specific crime types.
C. In addition to the above points from the author's conclusion, I would like to highlight several broad points based largely on my follow-up commentaries on each of the chapters. (OBVIOUSLY, IN TYING SOME POINTS TOGETHER, YOU MIGHT WANT TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THESE POINTS AS YOU PREPARE FOR THE FINAL EXAM.)
1. Reflecting back on our early discussion of crime atatistics, it is interesting to note that this text makes lots of use of NCVS statistics as a supplement to or even substitute for crime reports, such as the FBI's UCR. Of course, there were a couple exceptions to this (eg., in the case of homicide, obviously, and public order crimes which are considered "victimless.")
2. In most cases of the different crime types, there was a clear, POSITIVE CORRELATION between an urban environment (more urban) and higher crime rates, which gives some general support to social disorganization theory.
3. The disproportionate involvement of minorities, especially black males, in violent and property crimes. This is important to acknowledge, but at the same time it is also important to note that this is not about race per se but mainly about where minorities are concentrated in our society, in economically and socially depressed urban areas.
4. The rate of recidivism for most street criminals is very high -- ranging from roughly 40-70% for different crime types. This would suggest that we have a lot of work to do to improve our ability to rehabilitate these offenders both IN and OUT of prison (the documentary we saw, "A Hard Straight," is relevant here). Indeed, prisons may not be the best environment to rehabilitate many criminals.
5. Rationalization (or neutralization) of criminal behavior; emphasis on instant gratification ("life as party"); involvement of alcohol, drugs, and guns are characteristics of crime that come through time and again in the many interviews with various kinds of convicted criminals.
6. In addition to formal control efforts mounted by the police, each chapter recognized the role of INFORMAL SCOIAL CONTROL. Indeed, in some cases, just the willingness to report more crime would be a big step forward.
7. Finally, I do believe, as Chapter 8 highlights, that organizations (not just indivivduals) are capable of committing criminal acts. Here again, we need to take a broader approach than most people do.
_____________________________
That wraps up "Crime Types." Hope to see everyone next week when we begin to discuss "Gang Leader for a Day." Again, as I stressed in class, check out the family activity in connection with reading that book, as well as the Essay II topic I handed out in class last week.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Follow-up to Chapter 7 Report
Before I post my follow-up comments to the Yellow family's report on Chapter 7: Public Order Crimes, let me call your attention to the previous several blog posts, which you need to check out, especially several of you who have been missing-in-action. Also, I handed back the midterm exam today. So, if you want that you'll need to show up. And now, Chapter 7.
FOLLOW-UP COMMENTS ON CHAPTER 7:
A. Important to note that these crimes are categorized as "malum prohibitum" offenses, that is, offenses defined by law but not recognized as inherently evil (as are "malum in se" offenses). Also, they are classified as "victimless" crimes in the sense that there is a willing exchange of desired goods (drugs or sex) between individuals.
1. The consentual nature of these crimes makes them prone to underreporting and it complicates the job of law enforcement, which often has to resort to undercover operations to apprehend the criminals. So, neither the "Uniform Crime Reports" (UCR), nor the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is of much help in getting at the true magnitude of these crimes. For example, note the huge discrepancy between 80,000 arrests for prostitution in 2001 and an estimated 500,000 prostitutes.
B. The economic and social costs of the drug war have been tremendous. A former chief of police in Seattle estimated that the price tag for roughly 30 years of the drug war may be as much as $1 TRILLION! (this is NOT among the figures presented in "Crime Types.")
C. There is definitely a SUBCULTURAL aspect to public order crime -- that drug dealers, addicts, pimps, prostitutes, etc., inhabit a world where these illegal activities are seen as acceptable, which of course lends support to Differential Association/Social Learning theory. Dabney also mentioned the role of "normative neutralizations" in rationalizing the behavior.
1. One might also argue that Anomie/Strain or even Rational Choice theories might be relevant to the article on the organized marijuana business in rural Kentucky. Seems that marijuana has become a huge cash crop as the coal industry and other economic opportunities have declined. (Interesting to note that the medical marijuana business in California also seems to have had a huge impact on agriculture, given that growing marijuana is so much more profitable than growing other crops.)
D. The "Drugs-Crime" article basically concludes that the causal relation between drugs and crime is a two-way street: drugs cause crime and crime causes drugs. As I stressed in class, crime and drugs do go hand in hand, regardless of which came first. Both crime and drugs, I would argue, grow from similar deteriorated social conditions.
E. In the article on hard-core heroin addicts, a typology is brought out which I believe contains at least one crucial point. The authors make an important point about the effects of heroin and when it is most destructive:
"In sum, contrary to popular belief, heroin use does not inevitably lead to a deterioration of lifestyle. Rather, the physiological dynamics of narcotics use tend to be the most destabalizing under conditions where life structure is already weak and incapable of accommodating the physiological demands imposed by increased tolerance." (p. 274) That is, in regard to the effects of any drug, one must consider the larger social circumstances in which the drug is taken and not just the chemical properties of the drug itself.
F. In "The Miami Sex-for-Crack Market Revisited" we see the intersection of two public order crimes -- prostitution and drugs -- with terrible consequences for those caught up in this world, especially in terms of the extreme risk of contracting HIV.
G. A final note: I was glad that the Yellow family skipped over the last article on prostitution, which I believe was perhaps the most poorly written article in the entire book.
_____________________________
In our next class on Thursday (11/3), we'll be seeing a documentary on the parole system in California, which is connected with an extra credit opportunity that I posted on this blog. Check that out before Thursday.
FOLLOW-UP COMMENTS ON CHAPTER 7:
A. Important to note that these crimes are categorized as "malum prohibitum" offenses, that is, offenses defined by law but not recognized as inherently evil (as are "malum in se" offenses). Also, they are classified as "victimless" crimes in the sense that there is a willing exchange of desired goods (drugs or sex) between individuals.
1. The consentual nature of these crimes makes them prone to underreporting and it complicates the job of law enforcement, which often has to resort to undercover operations to apprehend the criminals. So, neither the "Uniform Crime Reports" (UCR), nor the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is of much help in getting at the true magnitude of these crimes. For example, note the huge discrepancy between 80,000 arrests for prostitution in 2001 and an estimated 500,000 prostitutes.
B. The economic and social costs of the drug war have been tremendous. A former chief of police in Seattle estimated that the price tag for roughly 30 years of the drug war may be as much as $1 TRILLION! (this is NOT among the figures presented in "Crime Types.")
C. There is definitely a SUBCULTURAL aspect to public order crime -- that drug dealers, addicts, pimps, prostitutes, etc., inhabit a world where these illegal activities are seen as acceptable, which of course lends support to Differential Association/Social Learning theory. Dabney also mentioned the role of "normative neutralizations" in rationalizing the behavior.
1. One might also argue that Anomie/Strain or even Rational Choice theories might be relevant to the article on the organized marijuana business in rural Kentucky. Seems that marijuana has become a huge cash crop as the coal industry and other economic opportunities have declined. (Interesting to note that the medical marijuana business in California also seems to have had a huge impact on agriculture, given that growing marijuana is so much more profitable than growing other crops.)
D. The "Drugs-Crime" article basically concludes that the causal relation between drugs and crime is a two-way street: drugs cause crime and crime causes drugs. As I stressed in class, crime and drugs do go hand in hand, regardless of which came first. Both crime and drugs, I would argue, grow from similar deteriorated social conditions.
E. In the article on hard-core heroin addicts, a typology is brought out which I believe contains at least one crucial point. The authors make an important point about the effects of heroin and when it is most destructive:
"In sum, contrary to popular belief, heroin use does not inevitably lead to a deterioration of lifestyle. Rather, the physiological dynamics of narcotics use tend to be the most destabalizing under conditions where life structure is already weak and incapable of accommodating the physiological demands imposed by increased tolerance." (p. 274) That is, in regard to the effects of any drug, one must consider the larger social circumstances in which the drug is taken and not just the chemical properties of the drug itself.
F. In "The Miami Sex-for-Crack Market Revisited" we see the intersection of two public order crimes -- prostitution and drugs -- with terrible consequences for those caught up in this world, especially in terms of the extreme risk of contracting HIV.
G. A final note: I was glad that the Yellow family skipped over the last article on prostitution, which I believe was perhaps the most poorly written article in the entire book.
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In our next class on Thursday (11/3), we'll be seeing a documentary on the parole system in California, which is connected with an extra credit opportunity that I posted on this blog. Check that out before Thursday.
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