Inmate Swaying Pendulum Theory Essay

Throughout time, many future students studying sociology have determined that scholars develop their work around certain aspects that they personally believe and analytically researched would not only had an affect the society during their time, but would also positively improve the aspects of ones’ social system in modern society. One major aspect that has been continuously worked with throughout all of sociology is the idea of how to improve the prison system… especially the modern social aspect of the private prison system. With this, a new theory is becoming modernized within the private prison system of America, and that particular theory is currently being recognized as the inmate swaying pendulum theory. Integrated within society during
One of the major works develops from Durkheim’s concept of morality. This concept determines how a person thinks and reacts within society according to the particular aspect they are experiencing at the time. In terms of this particular study, private prisons are often seen as morally incoherent within society, which therefore plays a role within the pendulum theory. Durkheim study proclaims, that in order for morality to become influential within society, the specimen of study must begin to understand their particular role, which will demonstrate intrinsic motivation by each individual towards improving their life and society (Rizer, Stepnisky, 1992: 80). With the overall goal of the prison system being the reestablishment of true morality in a person, the inmate pendulum theory begins to sway back and forth, as it determines whether or not morality is important within their life and towards the benefit of society. Durkheim work portrays that morality is “driven” by a moral “health” of modern society that not only identifies with each society means, but also realizes that its’ true essence could lose its sense of moral force if an average number of members being studied, believed it would positively impact their own self-interests over societies’ (Ritzer, Stepnisky, 1992:80-81). It is this aspect that Durkheim proclaims a person
According to a Ritzer, “We labor in response to our needs, but the labor itself transforms our needs, which can lead to new forms of productive activity” (Ritzer, Stepnisky, 1992:53). Marx proclaims that labor not only transforms the individual but calls upon the culture of society to rely upon each individual participating just as the individual relies upon society in order to demonstrate the true succession within life (Ritzer, Stepnisky, 1992:53). With the goal becoming to demonstrate effective labor, private prison systems believe that society will see an increase in a number of individual inmates who are determined to work through the harsh aspects of labor in order for their-self to obtain a life of success. However, the amount of labor placed upon a typical individual within society can not only cause growth but also bring destruction to the person, as their main focus becomes on the labor instead of what they are laboring towards. Just as this can bring about a drain on a typical working individual within society, it ultimately brings about even more strain upon the inmate who is swinging back and forth on the pendulum in the private prison sector. Private prisons often overwork inmates in order to fulfill the current goal (ex. clearing a road) but to also cause the inmate to push through the current circumstance, in order for the inmate to become someone they are not. The