The View That Crime Is Socially Constructed Essay

Discuss the view that crime is socially constructed, give examples to illustrate your answer! Introduction Crime prevalently commits around the globe either refer back to past experiences or even within present or ongoing society. Crime is indeed not commendable to commit in any society. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that it is there as a complex issue and well explained as a part of any particular society. Therefore, what crime actually is? Crime delineates as an illegal act either against law, collective wellbeing, or even political wellbeing (Bradley Walters, 2011). It then overall deems as a kind of harmful behavior towards certain values or norms of the society it committed in. It is interesting to note that Becker (from labelling theory) claimed by saying no action in itself crime or deviant, it depends upon who commits it, who sees it, and what action is taken about it (Becker, 1991). So it is to underline that crime is really a social creation, and does not have such reality of its own, historical relative and characterized by the constant changing (Henry, 2001; Bradley Walters, 2011). This is not the whole thing, it is an ending quest as we continually seek an adequate answer to justify such claim that crime is a product of the society and that it characterized by shifting over time and setting. In this essay I will unpack three motives of why crime has been posited to be a social construction rather a reality in itself autonomous or neutral.Show MoreRelatedOutline the View That Crime Is Socially Constructed Essay763 Words   |  4 Pagesoffer different definitions of crime, suggesting that it is a social construction as it varies across culture, time and belief. It will examine the role of social construction, through interpretation and meaning, in the identification, reporting and legal consequences of criminal acts. After illustrating how fear, escalated by the media, can directly affect crime, it will conclude that crime and its consequences are socially constructed. The obvious definition of crime is the legal definition ofRead MoreOutline and assess the view that crime and deviance are socially constructed1021 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Outline and assess the view that crime and deviance are socially constructed There has been a pleather of research regarding the issue of crime and deviance. A definition of crime and deviance can be explained in relative terms which are dependant on any particular society’s interpretation of crime and deviance. Cultures differ from one society to another and the general consensus of right and wrong can also evolve throughout time. Definitions of crime and deviance can evolve with factors suchRead More Social Norms1709 Words   |  7 Pagesspiritually divine form of ritualistic sacrifice in the ancient Aztec culture of Mexico. Yet in Western culture murder and the consumption of human flesh is considered highly revolting, dealt with by harsher consequences by law than most other deviant crimes. These differences are due to the way each individual society develops their own moral codes. These codes are often defined by cultural ideologies, adversity to other cultures and ritualistic practises which have become accepted, as well establishedRead MoreWha t Deviance Is Socially Constructed Essay1339 Words   |  6 PagesQuestion 1 – Explain what deviance is socially constructed means. Discuss 2 types of positive deviance and 2 types of negative deviance which are socially constructed in the United States. Provide examples of each. Deviance is socially constructed because it is defined and outlined firmly by society’s norms. As a result, a deviant act in one society may not be considered deviant within a different society. Societies define themselves through the shared common values of the individuals and in orderRead MoreCrime Is A Social Construction1083 Words   |  5 Pagesthis essay I will be discussing Christie’s (2004) viewpoint that crime is a social construction, drawing viewpoints from Henry (2001), Walklate (2007), and Cohen (1972). Firstly, it is important to address the construction of the dictionary definition of crime and then to delve further into the changing nature of crime itself, also reflecting on crime within certain contexts. This will happen by looking at the current definition of crime and cross-examining it with Christie’s theoretical perspectiveRead MoreCrime Is Defined And Recorded, And Will1415 Words   |  6 PagesBecker (1963) believes that an act of devian ce is created through the process of labelling. This view is based on the idea that societies have rules that determine what is acceptable or unacceptable. These are determined by those in power, such as the government and police. If someone breaks these rules, they are labelled deviant. This essay will look at the implications of this view in regards to how crime is defined and recorded, and will also assess the effect this has on official criminal statisticsRead MoreEffects Of Labelling On Deviant Behaviour1502 Words   |  7 Pagescan be dependent on one’s subjective views which can be influence the study of crime and reliability of crime statistics. Within my essay I’ll be exploring the effects of labelling on deviant behaviour, and the ways in which views differ due to the influence of various groups within society and the influence of the media on societies interpretation of deviance. Deviance is understood to be behaviour which deviates from what is seen as the norm or what is socially acceptable by violating the rules ofRead MoreSociology - The Comparative Method1739 Words   |  7 Pagesexposing misinterpreted norms. Norms that society consider natural and inevitable characteristics of human existence) reified (the human created norms or truths) beliefs. Obviously there are various ways in which a nomi (a labeled, sometime constructed, norm or truth) can be exposed. Which form of the comparative method should one use however? The answer, whichever one applies to the truth in question. For example, you certainly would not do a cross-gender form of comparison if you wishedRead MoreAssess the Sociological Explanation That Childhood Is a Social Construction.1499 Words   |  6 PagesAssess the sociological explanation that childhood is a social construction. Childhood is the time of a person’s life when they are a child. Childhood is said to be socially constructed, meaning that it has not been influenced by nature but has been shaped by the quality of family life and the culture within society. The social construction of childhood points out that childhood is dependent on a number of social factors rather than a biological stage. Sociologists argue about what the term ‘childhood’Read MoreSocial Construction Theory And Social Class1270 Words   |  6 Pagesincome, wealth, power, and occupation. Social class is socially constructed by the way we view how much income and wealth a person possess (Ore, 20011a, 10). In reality it is much more than that. According to the text, poverty is not only the shortage of income, but it is the rejection of opportunities and choices that leads a person to a standard way of living (Ore, 2011a, 10). Stereotyping also contributes to it being socially constructed. These stereotypes influ ence us by defining who is who based

Reflections on Visual Representation Of Mice and Men Free Essays

As a female, I was annoyed the way the novel made women out actively by using words like tramp’, ‘pitch’ and tart’ and the way men in the novel used them as prostitutes, so my representation shows the freedom and confinement of Curly wife – Eve given her power in my representation because her and the other women had none In the novel and Eve made the men all fairly insignificant In my representation because It wasn’t fair that they had all the power In the book. I felt Like Curlers wife was Like a caged bird In the novel because she desperately wanted to escape from her life, but just couldn’t. This is why I used a birdcage as the cost dominant thing in my representation. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflections on Visual Representation: Of Mice and Men or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is sparkles because I wanted it to look luring because Curlers wife was lured into marrying Curler because she thought that marriage would give her freedom. The bride’s veil hanging on the outside of the birdcage emphasizes that her hopes and dreams were out of reach and that marriage was central to her being trapped. Black chains are also wrapped around the sparkles cage, which makes her even more confined than Just being in the cage. A mans clothing and top hat sits over the veil, chains and the cage door, which shows hat men, and especially rich men like Curly and his father are the most powerful, have the most freedom In the novel, and are the ones who trap and confine other less powerful people. Bird’s feathers in the cage are a metaphor for Curler’s wife who is like a confined bird, and the fact that they are popping out the side of the cage shows that she is desperately trying to escape. Just like a bird is free to fly where ever it likes, her dreams were free once, but now they are caged. Curlers wife, the prostitutes and the girl in the red dress are all nameless in the novel Just like the bird in the cage – we now it is a bird because we can see its feathers, but we can’t actually see what type of bird it is. Even so, the feathers are black which has two symbolic meanings, firstly black symbolizes her misery and death, and the way the feathers are scattered everywhere reminds me of the description of the frenzy before her murder and of her dead limp body. Black Is also the color associated with evil and the author constructs her as a sank/flirt who Is trying to corrupt men. Eve Included one tiny single feather with beautiful red spots on it, which shows the way the men treat her potty feather is also like Curly wife’s hair – it is soft which tempts Ellen to touch it which eventually leads to him murdering her. Also, the red spotted feather is like her dreams that are mostly hidden now that she is confined in her marriage cage. Red is associated with prostitutes and was also the color of Curlers wife’s shoes and the red dress the girl was wearing who accused Ellen of rape, so in my representation, I have made it a feminine color. The red spotted feather also shows Curlers wife’s vibrant personality that we understand more when she explains how she could have en a movie star. The quote ‘An a guy tool me he could put me in pitchers†¦ On sparkly paper backs this up and is shown in bold lettering to show how forcefully she said the words, but Eve cut them in half on the poster to make the words hard to understand Just like in the novel when she spoke them to Ellen, he couldn’t really understand her which again emphasizes how trapped and alone she was. This idea is shown again in another quote ‘Satisfy night. Everybody out doing’ osmosis. Everybody! An’ what am I don? Standing’ here talking’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs’ which emphasizes tha t the men are all out and have friends, but she is not allowed to have either. The black font is damaged Just like she admits that she is damaged through this rhetorical question. Even so, Ellen and Crook are also excluded and confined and they are shown on my representation as stick figures/’bindle stiffs’ connected to this quote who I positioned at the outside of my picture, Just like they are at the outside of society. They have weird square heads and uneven bodies to show that they are different to the other powerful men represented by the suit and top hat on he cage in the middle of the representation, and the men in the newspaper article in the background. Colorful, red, shiny swirls are radiating from the cage and heading upwards which is like the singing/chirping bird because Curly wife was always trying to be happy and talk to the men because she was trapped and lonely. These red swirls floating upward also represent the freedom of dreams. But people can’t understand birds just like the men couldn’t understand Curlers wife’s loneliness which is also shown by a clump of red letters that are Jumbled up in a small pile hardly noticeable on the eight hand side of the cage. The Jumbled letters are separate from the men’s words, which are shown as colorful ‘happy words, all Joined together because they are all free to socialize with each other. Even so, the men’s words face inwards in a circle which shows their social circle and represents the way they keep her out and trapped in her cage. Curlers wife is excluded from the friendships and confined to her unhappy life on the ranch because she is female, and because she is the boss’s wife. By Paris Whittaker Year 11 How to cite Reflections on Visual Representation: Of Mice and Men, Papers

Benin Essay Example For Students

Benin Essay Benin, independent nation of W Africa, formerly called Dahomey. Once aFrench protectorate, it is a country of 40 ethnic tribal groups and alow-level economy. Land and Economy. Located in the bulge on the S side of W Africa, Beninis bordered by Nigeria, Toga, Berkina Faso, and Niger, with 75 mi (121km)on the Gulf of Guinea. The coast is hot and humid, and there are two rainyand two dry seasons; average annual rainfall is 32in (813mm). Benin hasthree plateaus, one fertile, another of bare rocks, and a third withstreams flowing to the Volta and Niger rivers and including the Atakorarange. The E section is a plain. Subsistence agriculture is the economicbase. Palm products and cotton account for half of export revenues. People. The leading class in Benin is composed of male-line descendantsof the Aja (Fons, or Dahomey) who had established the early kingdom. Trained for civil service by the French, they are the best educated;literacy is 25% among school-age children. In the N are the nomadic Fulaniand the Somba tribe, hunters with no political organization; E are Baribas. 90% of the population is rural, and 65% practices animist religion. Frenchis the common language. Government. Benin has been under military rule since 1970. Theconstitution of 1977 instituted a national assembly, whose members belongto the sole legal political party, the Benin Peoples Revolutionary Party. History. Benins history dates back to three principalitiesAllada,Porto-Novo, and Dahomeyin the S area who were being pushed by the NKingdom of Abomey in the 16th century. Dahomey was the most aggressive,pushing N and selling slaves. In 1863 the king of Porto-Novo sought Frenchprotection. By 1892 France had subjugated all groups and made themprotectorates as part of French West Africa. In 1960 the country becameindependent as Dahomey. The official name was changed to Benin in 1976. Economic and regional rivalries have caused numerous military coup dtatsand changes of government since 1960. The Marxist-Leninist militarygovernment in power since 1972, led by Brig. Gen. Mathieu Kerekou, relaxedits authority somewhat during the late 1970s and improved relations withFrance. Benin became the center of an international environmentalcontroversy in 1988 when it became known that European nations planned todump toxic wastes there. PROFILEOfficial name: Peoples Republic of BeninArea: 43,483sq mi (112,621sq km)Population: 4,663,832Density: 107.3per sq mi (41.4per sq km)Chief cities: Porto-Novo (capital);Cotonou Government: MilitaryReligion: Animist, Christian, and Moslem (Muslim)Language: French(official)Monetary unit: CFA franc Grossdomestic product: $1,400,000,000Per capita income: $340Industries: food processing, including beer, palm oilAgriculture: peanuts, cotton, coffee, tobaccoMinerals: petroleumTrading partners: France (major), other members of European Common Market,franc zone countries