...The essay focuses on the social construction of crime, and the possible reasons for these social constructions. In the first section, the essay explains what crime is, and the constructionist perspective theory. In the Second section my essay focuses on the crime as socially constructed and why it is socially constructed. In the third section essay explains, three levels of explanation in the study of deviant and criminal behaviour. In the final section, it focuses on the historical theoretical periods, which plays an important role in revitalising past discoveries. Crime is a term that refers to many types of misconduct that is forbidden by law. There are a number of different reasons as to why crime can be viewed as a social construction. There cannot be 'social problems' that are not the product of social construction - naming, labelling, defining and mapping them into place - through which we can 'make sense' of them' (Clarke, 2001). In this essay I will explain what is social construction, also what crime is, and why we think, that crime is socially constructed. Furthermore, I will explain how media construct crime and the stigma of black crime. In the last paragraph I will explore the importance of Marxist and Durkheim's theories on the emergence of crime....
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...Whiteness is socially constructed in American society by several different factors. The idea of race itself is socially constructed as it has nothing to do with genetic makeup or ethnic background. Race is simply constructed by what people observe by the color of a person’s skin. In society whiteness is viewed as one side of a spectrum with black being on the other and all other races falling somewhere in the middle. This view sees whiteness as the opposite of people perceive as being a quality of people that are African American. People define what these qualities are by what they see in the media and interactions they have with the world. In the media African American males are consistently being presented in a negative light by what the...
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...organisms on the basis of their reproductive roles.’(Princeton University – 2010). Whereas gender is listed as ‘the state of being male or female, typically with reference to social or cultural differences rather than biological.’(Michigan University – 2010). In this essay I will explore and investigate both sex and gender, whilst identifying the differences between the two. I will start by elaborating on the given definitions. Sex is defined on the Princeton University website as ‘biological’. This is a word that has recurred in many other definitions that I have researched for the word ‘sex’. This would suggest that sex is able to be categorized in a straight forward manner. However, there are several high profile cases in the media, when the issue of ‘sex’ has come into question. Perhaps most recently is the case of South African athlete, Caster Semanya. Semanya won the 800m race during the African Junior Championship, with the fastest time of the year. This lead to some spectators questioning her sex. When looking at the athlete she has an incredibly muscular and angular frame, and this coupled with her record breaking run made the International Athletic Association ask for a sex test. This case brought the issue of ‘sex’ into much disrepute. Now, we are led to believe that there is a third option, rather than just Male or Female. Scientists use the term ‘intersex’ to describe an individual who is ‘born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not seem...
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...My position regarding whether mental illness is socially constructed is borderline, but I agree more that social construction plays a greater role overall. Social construction becomes prevalent when one’s responses begin to be defined as socially appropriate or not. An inappropriate or socially unexpectable response is then seen as abnormal, and thus categorized into mental illness. I believe that social construction plays a role in the view and diagnosis of mental illness because everyday stressors and the reaction to them are being socially labeled as symptoms of mental illness when in reality there is no “normal” response to issues experienced throughout an individual’s life. The media, politics and entertainment business play a large role in the view on what is socially normal and correct. For example, when someone falls short of these standards symptoms of depression and anxiety may result causing responses that are “abnormal”. Now that the symptoms’ have surfaced, they must be defined and many times easily being pointed in the direction of mental illness. I agree with Horwitz’s view suggesting that many issues that result in treatment and/or therapy are truly not a mental disorder, and the system used to classify the disease is not realistic. Disorders stemming from psychotic features such as bipolar disorder and depression, should be viewed more on as a continuum rather than entities that can be categorically placed (Horwitz, 2002). Disorders such as depression or bipolar...
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...For the purpose of this assignment I am going to discuss the social construct of disability by focusing on eugenics and language. In addition to the medical and social model of disability, segregation and the oppression of disability. Furthermore the Medias influence on social constructs. Within the United Kingdom there are an estimated 9 million disabled adults. (Office for Disability Issues updated Department for Work and Pensions estimates based on Family Resources survey 2009/10). Despite the high number, people with impairments are treated as a separate homogenous group to the rest of society. Firstly, to understand where we are today with disability as a social construction I will provide a historical account of disability in western society. To pinpoint precisely the origins of society’s attitude towards disability and disabled people would be almost impossible (Barton 1996). One theory that has been suggested, is that the view that our perceptions of impairments and disability are influenced by psychological fear of the unknown, the anomalous and the abnormal (Barton 1996 cites Douglas 1966). Historically, disability has been a source of oppression where disabled people have been socially excluded from many areas of social life. The exclusion can be traced back to an era when biblically ideas formed of society. The religious model of disability produced notions of what was acceptable and not acceptable; this included the exclusion of imperfections of the body. Imperfect...
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...Interactionalists reject official crime statistics; they believe they are socially constructed (made by society) Howard Becker: Deviance is in the eye of the beholder What is classed as crime or deviant is based on subjective decisions by moral entrepreneurs These are agents of social control who decide what behaviours are to be labelled as deviant or not How society responds to a deviant act depends on whether the act or person has been publicly labelled as deviant or not Lemert talks about this in terms of: Primary deviance – an act that has not been labelled as deviant Secondary deviance – an act that has been publicly labelled as deviant Once an act has been labelled as deviant… The deviant actor may see themselves as a deviant person they adopt this as their master status This can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy as they then behave in a way which lives up to this label The media can contribute to this by demonising those who have been labelled as deviant This creates moral panics amongst society… Creating ‘folk devils of the deviant individuals which marginalises them even further’ This process is known as deviance amplification Cicourel: The negotiation of justice Agents of social control (E.g. police) hold ‘typification’ (stereotypes) about who is more likely to commit crime. This is more likely to be based against the more powerless groups in society – the young, the poor and ethnic minorities. This can lead to a self-serving bias; police are more...
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...construction and women. The importance of the role of beauty in the female gender role showing how young women are being more sexualized. Also, the role of eating disorders in men and women’s genders is addressed. Men’s struggle with masculinity in present society as well as fear of feminism is talked about. Finally, the Bugis tribe, located in South Sulawesi, Indonesia is studied. Their five separate genders show a fascinating look at social construction. Gender And Its Social Unstoppable Construction Gender is an extremely captivating concept. The social construction of gender is an extensive and complicated subject. Looking at the views children have of gender roles shows social construction. Studying how women’s gender roles are socially constructed with feminine behavior is very interesting. Also is fascinating how men attempt to balance and uphold masculinity. Finally, gender in other cultures, specifically the Bugis tribe of Indonesia, have extremely different takes on gender, which is curious to see. Gender is an intriguing subject that not enough people are educated on, however, this paper will dive into the topic of gender and social construction. There is a very common misconception when talking about gender. Most people see gender and sex as identical concepts; however, gender and sex are two different entities. When someone is born, they are...
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...something that is seen as a mark of being different (Singer 2008). It is socially constructed with an emphasis on what is perceived to be "normal." My first constructed stigmas of mental illness came in middle school. Back then, depression dominated my limited knowledge of mental conditions. I remember seeing scars on a classmate's arm and not fully understanding how someone could harm themselves. I could not tell if this was simply a part of the "emo" culture that was so prevalent in those days or actual cries for help. My friends and I often labeled these students as "weird" and outcasts. This image built a wall around my ability to see the different forms mental illness can take. High school brought greater clarity and empathy to the experiences of those with mental conditions. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) two months into freshman year. Just like many mental conditions, RA cannot be seen or understood by people who are not experiencing it. I soon felt neglected, alone, and misunderstood. Because of this, I have developed genuine, empathic responses to individuals experiencing intense and emotional events in their life courses. However, this is not as easy for me when talking about mental health. My lack of personal understanding of and experiences with mental illness has not only created subconscious stigmas and bias but also sheer confusion and helplessness. Additionally, the media has played a huge role in my perception of mental illness. In a world of...
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...except Marxism – accept difference between those who offend and those who don’t * One group – influenced by symbolic interactionism – questioned this approach – mistaken in assumption that lawbreakers are different from law abiding * Most people commit deviant or criminal acts – only some caught and stigmatized for it * Unique theories – as argues pointless trying to search for differences between deviants and non-deviants – stress should be upon understanding the reaction to, and definition of, deviance rather than on the cause of the initial act Becker: * No act is criminal or deviant until it has been labelled such by others * Criminal act in itself isn’t important – social reaction to act is * Agrees CD socially constructed * Becker studies – being labelled as deviant can have important consequences for persons identity * If label successfully applied – negative label becomes master status – cancels out any other statuses that indiv. has * Can result in excluding indiv from different social activities e.g. work and other mainstream society – left to find support with others in similar situations * Likely to reinforce deviant lifestyle – leading to dev of further deviant acts and career * Could ultimately lead to the creation of deviant subcultures * However – criticisms – fails to explain why people commit crimes and completely neglects power and social structure – cant explain why certain types of people regularly and repeatedly...
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...of nuclear family that faces no family problems and is always happy. The Cereal Packet Family is the most portrayed family on the media. This is threw adverts, T.V programs and threw the news at times, the news will show a family in a disability or a disadvantage and this family will act like everything has always been good and everything is good, with no struggle. The ‘cereal packet image of the family’ because it was a socially constructed model laden with assumptions of how families thought to be. Such an image creates a normalised social construction of what a family should look like. A Cereal Packet family would be a nuclear family living with one or two of their natural dependent children. the couple is seen to be married (excludes single parent and cohabiting families), the couple is heterosexual (therefore no same sex couples), dad’s the breadwinner and mum stays at home to look after the housework/children. She might also have a part-time job in order to bring that little extra home. The Cereal Packet family is the most dominate family shown in the media and still is, the reason why is because the media is trying to put an image in the head of the people picturing, this is the sort of family you want, this is the sort of family you need and asks a rhetorical question don’t you want your family to be happy and to be like this? The media portrays this in shows for kids, like adverts and TV breaks so the kids will think I want a family like that, also this will put...
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...that they can enjoy warm pancakes, bacon, and eggs, and especially early morning cartoons. Weekend morning cartoons are always enjoyable to watch because they are simply hilarious. They usually consist of funny and innocent violence that is meant to attract a younger audience. Children are able to watch cartoons carelessly and laugh, not realizing how gender inequality or even racism is displayed in cartoons today. Research by Jerry A. Jacobs and Kathleen Gerson (2004) states that “gender inequality exists typically when women have less power than men or vice versa, and this can either be at home, school, or in the workplace” (p. 89). Gender inequality is socially constructed meaning people respond to changing behaviors in society. Cecilia L. Ridgeway (1997) researches that gender inequality is in fact socially constructed and she states “a part of that is learning how to display masculinity or femininity, which is seen or learned. For example, stereotypically, men are more focused with physical strength while woman are more focused on how they present themselves as viewing objects” (p. 225). Cartoon Network, a popular television network for children plays various cartoons such as The Flintstones, Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Thundercats, and more. Although all of these cartoons are hilarious because of the characters and the dialect, there is more behind the humor. Typically, these cartoons portray views of men and women differently because they focus on men as always...
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...Examine the effects of social change in the position of children Sociologists see childhood as socially constructed, this means they see it as something created and defined by society itself. They believe we can see the position that children occupy in society is not fixed but differs between different time, places and cultures by comparing the western idea of childhood today with the childhood in the past and in other societies. It is accepted in our society today that childhood is a special time of life and that children are different from adults. They are seen as physically and psychologically immature and not yet able to run their own lives. Jane Pilcher (1995) notes the most importance feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness. Childhood is seen as a clear and distinct life stage and children in society occupy a different status from adults. However this view of childhood as a separate age status, children and adults being different, is not found in all societies. Stephan Wagg (1992) says “Childhood is socially constructed. It is, in other words, what members of particular societies, at particular times and in particular places, say it is. There is no single universal childhood, experienced by all. So, childhood isn’t ‘natural’ and should be distinguished from mere biological immaturity”. This means that, while all human beings go through the same stages on physical development, different cultures construct or define this process differently. Ruth Benedict...
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...included three male and two female students of a private high school in the Midwestern United States. The study is framed by the notion that literacy is a socially, culturally, and historically situated discursive construct rather than a purely individualized cognitive endeavor. This social constructivist theory of literacy emphasizes the social conditions necessary to navigate the economic, social, and political worlds of the 21st century. The purpose of the study was to explore the students‟ multiliteracy practices that they enact through their activities within digital popular culture. Data collection methods included synchronous interviews facilitated by video conferencing tools as well as observation of the participants‟ online activities and member checks conducted via email and instant messaging. The analytic strategy employed during this study was informed by Clarke‟s (2005) situational analysis method. The study‟s findings indicate that literacy practices in which the study participants have engaged through informal learning activities within digital youth culture have had a much greater impact on enabling them to cultivate the multimodal literacies necessary within a postmodern digital era than have their formal educational experiences. Keywords: Literacy; multiliteracy; digital popular culture; online, digital media; youth Introduction The experiences of students in today‟s U.S. schools as they gain the literacies necessary to participate in...
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...Throughout this essay the main aim will be to convince the reader that gender is a social construct and is socially determined. This will be done by analysing evidence, both biological and social and showing how social research is much stronger and what we can learn from it. The ways in which society determines gender will be brought to light and then the main points which biologist thinkers tend to ignore will be explained. it will then be shown why and how this can effect not just women but men as well. By doing this the reader will understand relevant research, identify the key points of how gender is socially constructed and then finally be able to realise how this is effecting individuals lives and how it would be beneficial to some...
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...biological and physiological difference between males and female, whereas gender is a concept that has been socially constructed through culture (Baxi 2017). The sociological argument supports...
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