Soc 201: Criminology 9/29/05

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

Today we will be discussing the Chicago School of Sociology and how it relates to the field we are studying.
History of the Chicago School
Handout on Further Reading if you'd like

Today, we will discuss in class Social Disorganization Theory

In the original study, the analysts found that even when new immigrant groups moved into an area due to stratification and other factors, juvenile deliquency rates remained at the same levels. Therefore, they supposed that it was not the "constitution" of a particular ethnic of economic group that caused deliquency, but rather the environment itself. One definition of the problem is "The inability of a community structure to realize the common values of its residents and maintain effective social controls."

Discussion question for class: How much do you believe environmental factors play into criminal behavior?

It is exam time again. Study Guide for Monday's Exam The questions will be taken from the first 25.

Comments

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Okay, if I'm getting this right then families do not fall under environmental factors. I think the society around us determines a lot of our behaviour, but it not the only and final determining factor.

If you just take a look at the weapons ban discussion, you'll see that there are kids who have grown up in an enviroment where being armed meant pretty much staying alive. Now, you can take this example two ways. It means that in their enviroment, there are a lot of people who fall into criminal behaviour because it is common enough. When your society does not punish or even condones criminal behaviour, it's only natural that your citizens will behave accordingly.

Then again, it needs to be said that even though so many people grew up surrounded by violence, they still chose for themselves to not fall into the same behaviour and have used their weapons in defence of not only themselves, but also others around them. I'm not sure what the driving factor behind it is, but I can imagine that family and education are a big influence. If you are taught to not harm another person or to not steal, then chances are likely that you will not do this either.

Even so, I think it's easy to go out and blame society and education or your parents. In the end it's the individual who decides. We can try to come up with as many excuses as we want to for people committing a crime and we can try to be compassionate about it too, but in the end they still made the decision. I don't think it is so unusual for someone who was taught to do harm in a violent enviroment to still end up doing the right thing.

((Apparently Cam feels strongly about it.))

[drgrissom.livejournal.com]

Excellent thoughts Cameron, the issue of personal responsibility vs. the effects of society is not easily understood. Good work today.



[damn]

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

*smiles, relieved that he didn't take this thing too far* Thank you, sir.