Preview

Social Structure Theory

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
887 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Social Structure Theory
Social Structure Theory
Shanee Mitchell
CJS/231
December 1, 2014
Gary Howard
Social Structure Theory
In this paper I will address and discuss social structure theory. I have chosen the “Pelican Bay State Prison: War Zone” video. I will discuss how the video supports social structure theory, the primary subject or content of the video, and the social issues raised in the video. I shall also address the major principles of sociological theory addressed in the video and some possible ramifications for social policy change.
Social Structure Theory Explained
Social structure theories imply that society, finances, and social arrangements are the primary cause for criminal behavior. It suggests that a persons’ chance of becoming a criminal is influenced by their place in the socioeconomic structure. In other words poor or low income people are more likely to get involved in criminal behavior. The social structure theory was developed by theorist who studied the lives of criminals and where they came from. As they studied the lives of criminals they discovered that there was an apparent link to how juveniles became criminals. The subject that stood out the most was the idea that criminal behavior was more likely for those who did not finish school. They found that when an individual finished school their chances of criminal behavior diminished more and more.
How Did the Video Support Social Structure Theory
In the video that I have viewed, “Pelican Bay State Prison: War Zone”, there was a lot of information that supported crime evolving from a social structure theory. The prisoners that are in Pelican Bay State Prison set a goal to get into this prison because it is more like a reward more than a punishment for them. Once sent there they can wear it as a badge of honor. Pelican Bay is a prison for only the meanest and toughest of prisoners, mostly gang leaders and such. These gang leaders still run the gangs while they are in prison and are fearless. They come from
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    CJA 314 WEEK 3 SOCIAL PROCESS
    • 1818 Words
    • 6 Pages

    CJA 314 WEEK 3 SOCIAL PROCESS

    The social process theory draws the conclusion that criminals were raised in an environment that forms them to make unlawful decisions. People are influenced by what they are taught and their surroundings such as where they were raised, their guardians, and people they associated with. Individual’s actions and thought process will be based on what their first instinct is and their first instinct will be what they know best. For example, if a boy is raised in a home where their family shows his or her anger by reacting physically, that child will be more likely the one that is getting in fights at school than the child who grew up in a home were fighting was never present. No one is born with the mind be a criminal, they are in some way directed to perform the behavior or actions he or she have committed.…

    • 1818 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    General Strain Theory
    • 2128 Words
    • 9 Pages

    General Strain Theory

    There are many criminological theories to explain why crime and criminals work the way they work. Five theories are fit into a majority of today’s crime cases are Anomie theory by Emile Durkheim, General strain theory by Robert Agnew, Social Disorganization theory by Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay, Social Bonding theory by Travis Hirschi, and the Containment theory by Walter Reckless. Anomie is when there is a clear lack of social norms and values. This is common among teens who grew up in a dysfunctional, abusive family. General strain theory is used an individual is strained and unable to cope with the strain so they commit their time to doing crimes. Social Disorganization theory shows why certain neighborhoods experience more crime rates…

    • 2128 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Examining Theory Paper
    • 1235 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Examining Theory Paper

    The primary subject of the video “Pelican Bay State Prison: War Zone” is the fact career criminals are being able to conduct their business that landed them in prison in the first place without a problem. That the major issue of overcrowding and interaction of rival gangs has made an environment of chaotic proportions. The video displays the vulnerability it has with man power compared to how many inmates there are. Now what it seems like a place for protection and a school a crime, overcrowded undermanned prison seem like a college for the career criminal.…

    • 1235 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Structural Functionalist Perspective of Prison
    • 436 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Structural Functionalist Perspective of Prison

    The conflict theory is the proper theory to use for prison society because the strongest is the bourgeoisie and the weakest being the proletariat. There is a large social inequality in prison between the strong and the weak, the weak is bullied and made to do sexual favors for the strong. In my opinion the conflict theory is the best theory to associate with prison because the elite who are the strongest overtly use all the structures in the society to maintain power. Prison society emphasizes the social inequality of a social group because the strong take from the weak and belittle everything they do. Prison society has a power difference, there is class conflict and historically it has always been this way. When you consider the prison guards who are on the outside of this…

    • 436 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A REVIEW OF THE TOP SECURITY THREATS GROUPS IN PRSIONS
    • 2655 Words
    • 11 Pages

    A REVIEW OF THE TOP SECURITY THREATS GROUPS IN PRSIONS

    In our prison environments, there are many kinds of threats to inmate and officer safety daily. Bart ollas (2002) notes that order is a “dynamic social equilibrium”, and is the basis for violence or non-violence in the prisons, depending on how well it is maintained. The correctional system in our country contains within the walls, connected to our streets, many gangs. These groups, known as Security Threat Groups (STG’s) are usually operated on a racial bias, and are active in our Federal Bureau of Prisons and in at least 40 state correctional systems. Inmates are often forced to join their racial group or gang rather to ensure their personal safety within the walls. (Bart ollas, 2002 In the 1980,s and 1990’s, inmates were more racially biased than ever before, and each race in a facility had a leader if not more than one. Inmates isolate themselves from other racial groups notes the Anti-defamation League (2009). While this was producing more racial tension in the environment, it was also producing STG’s that were getting more organized and adept at running the drug trade and social environments within the walls of correctional facilities. Some of these gangs are more organized than others are, and produce the most followers. Because of organizational factors and growing numbers of members, the Aryan Brotherhood, Ku Klux Klan, the Folks, the Nation of Islam, and MS13 have emerged as our biggest security group threats in the American corrections system. Aryan Brotherhood Originating in San Quentin in the mid-sixties, founded by Barry Mills and Tyler Bingham (Border, 2006), this group is one of the best-known gangs with many factions in our correctional facilities (Anti-defamation League, 2009). This gang originated to protect white criminals from black prisoners at the time that prisons were desegregating. Malcolm X and the civil rights movement had the black inmates trying to gain power in the prisons. This gang is located primarily in the southwest and pacific…

    • 2655 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Crime Data Comparison
    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Crime Data Comparison

    The social conflict theory states that criminal behavior is founded on the conflict with a ruling social class labeling specific behaviors as illegal because of a social or an economic interest in protecting that community’s status quo. This is based on the belief that instead of laws showing the values of an entire society, the laws only exhibit the values of the few in society that hold power, and has no oppositions in using the justice system as a means of ensuring that power is kept. If behaviors, such as these are not corrected later in one’s life with improvements such as jobs and positive relationships, wrongful acts of behavior will continue to exist, possibly leading to future criminal activity…

    • 1290 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Social Structure
    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Social Structure

    In this paper I will be exploring my social structure and defining my place in social groups. I will be using information learned from the textbook (The Sociology Project, 2013), as well as my own thought process to complete the paper. It will help with not only understanding myself and the class but with being able to finish my final project as well.…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Crime: Social Control
    • 38291 Words
    • 154 Pages

    Crime: Social Control

    Key Terms Introduction Ecological Theories The Chicago School and Its Impact Contemporary Research on Urban Crime and Delinquency Anomie/Strain Theories The Classic Anomie Approach Durkheim’s Contributions Merton’s Contributions Contemporary Approaches Messner and Rosenfeld: Institutional Anomie Theory (IAT) Agnew: General Strain Theory (GST) Subculture Theories and Their Forerunners The Study of Gangs The Earlier Works Current Research and Policies on Gangs Female Gangs The Prevention of Gangs The Lower-Class Boy and Middle-Class Measuring Rod Neutralization and Drift Differential Opportunity Education and Delinquency The Lower-Class Boy and Lower-Class Culture Evaluation of Subculture Theories Crime and the Family Family Social Structures Family Power Relationships: Power-Control Theory The Routine Activity…

    • 38291 Words
    • 154 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Routine Activity Theory
    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Routine Activity Theory

    Though there are many theories I studied one which is routine activity theory which was developed by Marcus Felson and Lawrence E. Cohen. These people strongly believed that crime is unaffected by social causes such as poverty, inequality, and unemployment. There are of course some sociologists who believe in the social causes of crime. Although there is of course some routine activity theory related crimes some sociologist just can’t agree. For crime to be committed, three aspects are needed A motivated offender, A suitable target, and the lack of a Capable Guardian. It is also said that crime is normal and depends on the opportunities available. It says that if a target is not protected enough, and if the reward is worth it, crime will happen.…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Social Disorganization Research Paper
    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Social Disorganization Research Paper

    The social disorganization theory attributes crime and delinquency to communities in which family structure, churches, lack of enforcement from police, probation, and community activists. Schools also play a role in that there is a lack of after-school programs, outreach programs to address the issues of truancy, and juveniles as young as eight are induced and tempted to enter in a gang and therefore the criminal behavior begins to happen.…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Social Structure Theory
    • 1836 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Social Structure Theory

    Social structure theory asserts that the disadvantaged economic class position is a primary cause of crime. (Inchaustegui, Shanali) The social structure theory consists of three subtypes of theories: social disorganization theory, strain theory, and culture…

    • 1836 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Social Interaction, Groups, & Social Structure
    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Social Interaction, Groups, & Social Structure

    Social interactions shape the way we view the world around us, and is our response to someone’s behavior is based on the meaning we attach to his or her actions. Reality is shaped by our perceptions, evaluations, and definitions. Witch means that the parties to the social interactions must be aware of each other, it does not means being in sight of or directly behaving towards each other, whether face-to-face or over the telephone or on the computer. In a study that was done in mock prison, the social interactions between guards and prisoners were highly impersonal, the guards addresses the prisoners by number rather than name, and they wore reflective sunglasses that made eye contact impossible (104). Social interactions can define as having tattoos, to the genre of music one’s listen too, as an example, Tattoos was consider weird and kooky, and associated with bikers gangs, skinheads and more,, now so many people having tattoos , including major figures, and the view and ritual of getting tattoos change, same thing for music, Dubstep is new genre of music that’s just started to become one of the main genre of music today, simply because its accepted by society or certain groups of society.…

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Social Structure
    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Social Structure

    As it is said in the Dictionary of Social Sciences a social structure is the most basic, enduring, and determinative patterns in social life.…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Social Structure
    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Social Structure

    After review of the anonymous strategy there are five steps that the company is basing its strategy on:…

    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Community and Social Structure
    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Community and Social Structure

    AssignmentIII The idea of people being social in nature can be clearly illustrated by the groups, or communities that one sees all around them. Groups of individuals share a common perspective of what reality consists of, this is known as culture(Charon, 1997). This reality is perceived through our interactions with others in the group and by what our position is within that group(Charon, 1997). The way in which we see the world is in a sense limited by both our position and our interactions. In order to actually fill your position in the group you need to have a working set of ideas and concepts to get the job done(Charon, 1997). This working set of ideas is actually formed by the interactions that you have with other people who have the same position as you. It works for everyone else, and therefore you can t just randomly choose another set of concepts and ideas andexpect them to work, so you choose the ideas, concepts, and means that your peers use(Charon, 1997). For instance, if you are a Chemist, you obtain knowledge and perspectives consistent of your environment, i.e. chemistry, you would not learn a great deal about molecular biology because those concepts and ideas are not useful to you. We don t have a complete picture of everything around usbecause we perceive only the things which fit into our social structure(Charon, 1997). Reality is not a Velcro Nerf dart toss of facts and ideas, but rather a magnetic selection of those facts and ideas which are conducive to our pre-constructed structure. To one man power and riches are the greatest thing to achieve, but to a bum The oiliest thing is to have a warm placeto sleep (Coleman,1982:207). It s unfortunate that these conceptscan be utilized by a dictator to gain control and power for his own ideas and concepts. Hitler was just such a man, he used a social construct known as patriotism, that is, sense of pride…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics