How Does the Notion of Harm Reveal Entangled Relationships Between Social Welfare and Crime Control?
How does the notion of harm reveal entangled relationships between social welfare and crime control?
The concept of harm is a complex one, The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines the term as “hurt, damage, cause harm to” (Allen,1990,P.539). In a physical sense harm can be defined and characterised by damage caused from a war or a natural phenomenon that inflicts considerable damage upon an individual, community or nation. The notion of harm has characterised humanity since the dawn of its existence, ranging from famine and disease to war and conflict. From a Sociological perspective Harm and more specifically Well-Being are concepts that have extremely far reaching definitions, that range between the relationships between ourselves and families; having enough money to fulfil the needs of ourselves and our dependents and protection from entities such as crime, abuse, discrimination and oppression (Widdowson, 2008, p64). We also cannot ignore the physical concepts of harm that occur from such natural phenomena as Earthquakes for example the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake in San Francisco and Hurricanes such as the more recent Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The concept of Entanglement like that of harm has a number of different meanings the dictionary defines it as “the act or condition of entangling or being entangled” (The Concise Oxford Dictionary, 1990, P.390) in a Sociological context the concept of entanglement is a complex one, predominately it characterises “relationships between different policies, practices and processes” (Newman and Yeates, 2008, p168). Often these work with and against each other in both positive and negative ways resulting in both positive and negative outcomes and results. It is through Harm that this essay will investigate the entanglement between social welfare and crime control.
One concept of harm and the subsequent entanglement between social welfare and crime control is through our occupations and employment. Occupational
The concept of harm is a complex one, The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines the term as “hurt, damage, cause harm to” (Allen,1990,P.539). In a physical sense harm can be defined and characterised by damage caused from a war or a natural phenomenon that inflicts considerable damage upon an individual, community or nation. The notion of harm has characterised humanity since the dawn of its existence, ranging from famine and disease to war and conflict. From a Sociological perspective Harm and more specifically Well-Being are concepts that have extremely far reaching definitions, that range between the relationships between ourselves and families; having enough money to fulfil the needs of ourselves and our dependents and protection from entities such as crime, abuse, discrimination and oppression (Widdowson, 2008, p64). We also cannot ignore the physical concepts of harm that occur from such natural phenomena as Earthquakes for example the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake in San Francisco and Hurricanes such as the more recent Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The concept of Entanglement like that of harm has a number of different meanings the dictionary defines it as “the act or condition of entangling or being entangled” (The Concise Oxford Dictionary, 1990, P.390) in a Sociological context the concept of entanglement is a complex one, predominately it characterises “relationships between different policies, practices and processes” (Newman and Yeates, 2008, p168). Often these work with and against each other in both positive and negative ways resulting in both positive and negative outcomes and results. It is through Harm that this essay will investigate the entanglement between social welfare and crime control.
One concept of harm and the subsequent entanglement between social welfare and crime control is through our occupations and employment. Occupational
References: • Allen, R. E. (1990) ‘The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English’, Oxford, Clarendon Press • Balonov, M.I • Cochrane, A. and Walters, R. (2008) ‘The Globalization of Social Justice’ pp.130-159 in Cochrane, A. and Walters, R. (eds) Social Justice: Welfare, Crime and Society. Maidenhead, Open University Press. • Newman, J. and Yeates, N. (2008) ‘Conclusion’, pp. 164–174, in Newman, J. and Yeates, N. (eds) Social Justice: Welfare, Crime and Society. Maidenhead, Open University Press. • Widdowson, B. (2008) ‘Well-being, harm and work’, pp. 64–93, in Widdowson, B. (eds) Social Justice: Welfare, Crime and Society. Maidenhead, Open University Press.