Introduction to Crime and Punishment

Introduction to execration and PunishmentTheories were developed to help to explain and understand certain events, demeanors and/or situations. Over the years, sociologists have created these theories in hopes of explaining why things happen in caller. For instance, friendly conflict theories try to explain why society creates conflict collectible to inequalities that be present in everyday sustenance. In Karl Marx and Engels, stinting determinism, economic activity shapes and defines all political, cultural, kindly and technological aspects of society. It proposes that laws and norms are made in the interest of powerful members of society. This conflict theory proposes trine advises. The first proposition explains that the more inequality the more conflict. The second explains that those who receive little undeniable resources question the legitimacy of affectionate order, and the third proposition says that those who are acquire fewer resources will organize and expos e conflict to the public. Marx and Engel saw that dirty exploitation of one(a) social class and social solidarity could be regained if we overthrown capitalism.In the interactional theory, developed by Terrence Thornberry, suggests that delinquent behavior is a payoff of a relationship between an individual, peer groups, social structures, weakened bonds and eruditeness environment. This theory is broken into three different re-creates in a life course. The first stagecoach is delinquent behaviors are developed during childhood, primarily because of a dysfunctional family, school failure and association with delinquent peers. The second stage is during mid-adolescence where they are no longer influenced by family, but their peers. The third stage is during adulthood where their delinquent behaviors are shaped by their place in society and his or her own family.According to Durkheim, Punishment is an expression of social solidarity. He believed that penalization serves despo tic functions in society. There are three parties that help enact punishment. The controller is the person that administers the act, the controlled is the person being punished, the one who committed the execration, and the onlookers which is the general public. Durkheim saw punishment as a honorable education. Punishment is an inwrought part of moral order in society and it helps limit the spread of deviance and disobedience.The two theories that I found interest were Marx and Engels economic determinism and Durkheims punishment as a moral education. I admit with Marxs idea of the inequality of power in society and how it influences deviant behavior among people who pitch get the resources that they need in society. When an individual attend to not have the resources, they go about getting it another way. This relates keep going to Robert Mertons strain theory that focused on the emphasis of the Ameri dejection Dream. Those who arouset obtain it, find other ways, such as stealing or selling drugs. The conflict theory explains that inequality causes more conflict. Those who receive less needed resources would organize and come forth to open it up to the public. capitalist economy is considered the root of conflict because it is taken to be the source of unjust inequality. I agree that we should overthrow capitalism and form a just social solidarity, like communism, as Marx and Engel suggests. This way everyone is on the same level of social class and has the opportunity of receiving the same resources needed in society.In Durkheims, punishment as a moral education, I agree that punishment is essential for social order. For most children, when they are born they are taught morally function from wrong, such things like, stealing, lying or fighting. This is reinforced with punishment that can pose from time-outs to physical beatings. As a terminus it en for sures that whenever the child has an urge to do something wrong, they know the consequences. P ersonally, for as long as I can rally I have always been reprimanded by my parents whenever I did something I knew I wasnt suppose to. So as a result at each time I felt like misbehaving I would avoid it so that I wouldnt get punished for it. The same idea relates to when an individual thinks about committing a crime, they know that punishment will be a result of that.Like many other theories they arent concrete. They are developed to fare grit of why and how certain things happen in society, but there are some criticisms that can be made about them. Durkheim says that punishment is a positive function in society. It reinforces social solidarity and strengthen common values. Although I agree, I question whether he believes punishment of criminals has more of a positive function than reforming criminals? I do believe that some criminals deserve to punished for their actions, but I also believe that developing systems or policies where we can help an individual, that has committed crime, become a better person in society. There are circumstances where an individual had to commit a crime not because they wanted to but because they had to. For instance, a mother that is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her family, steals food from the grocery store because she has no money. In a technical sense she has committed a crime of stealing, but Im sure if she had the money she wouldnt steal. Instead of punishing her by putting her into a punitory institution, why not help her find a job where she can have steady income. This way she is able to provide for her family and we dont have to damp her from her kids.