Problems in defining and measuring crime

Problems in defining and measuring crime Today we will be looking at the difference between crime and deviance, the way of measuring crime and deviance and the problems involved. Defining crime is complex, dependant on social, political and economic factors. Crime is an act punishable by law. If somebody breaks the law, whether it is a serious or minor crime, s/he will be punished. Some argues that no matter how immoral, reprehensible, damaging or dangerous an act is, it is not a crime unless it is made such by the authorities of the State, the legislature. Some sociologists argue that only those are criminals who have been adjudicated as such by the courts, and no act can be considered criminal before and unless a court has meted out some penalty. Not all of those who break criminal laws are caught and convicted and many acts that could be considered criminal are rarely prosecuted. The forms of punishment are varied, depending of seriousness of crime, for example, imprisonment etc. Deviance is a type of behaviour that is not accepted by the majority of the society. It is behaviour that differs from the norm and terms weird, evil, sick, immoral are often connected with this form of behaviour. This could be something as minor as wearing the wrong kind of clothes to a party or as major as a murder. Many deviant acts that are not accepted by society are not necessarily criminal acts. Certain type of behaviour may be accepted by one society, but devalued and discredited by another. For example, drinking alcohol in British society is considered acceptable, even if it has negative impact on our society. However, there are many cultures (particularly those influenced by religious beliefs) that disapprove of this behaviour. In some countries like Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Tunisia and Sudan, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is forbidden. There are some exceptions where alcohol can be available to foreign tourists but only in ce rtain areas. Criminal and deviant behaviour changes from place to place and time to time. Strong public opinion and changing moral values have a huge impact on these interpretations and it becomes difficult to say what acts are deviant/criminal and what can be considered normal. For example, abortion used to be illegal in the UK, but in 1967 it become legal up to 24 weeks with no time limit when there is a risk to the womans life. However, there are still anti-abortion groups in UK that believe that abortion is wrong, but because majority of society agree on this outcome it is not seen as criminal act anymore. There are still many countries that place value on human life and abortion is illegal there, for example in Northern Ireland, Brazil, Malta, the Philippines, Egypt, Nigeria and many more. It is very difficult to draw a line between crime and deviance. They go hand in hand. Any crime that is committed is a result of someone being deviant. A great deal of deviant behaviour is not punishable by law, but can come to the attention of a community which implements various informal controls, such as isolating those who deviate from the norm rejected by family, friends, colleagues, whole community. Who has the power and right to say what is normal and what is deviant behaviour? Cultures, traditions, religion, morals and beliefs, greatly influence society about what we see as acceptable/unacceptable behaviour. People are born into different societies with different cultures, values and morals. Individuals are influenced by these from birth and continue to learn and adapt new values and morals. If people migrate and become members of a different society, they may have to learn new values and morals. If somebody undertakes a religious conversion, their morals and values will change to meet their chosen religions behavioural code. Crime and deviance have always played a big part in our society. Crime statistics are an important source of information, which provide an insight into the amount and type of crime committed within particular areas (both national and local). In England, crimes recorded by the police have been published since 1876. However, official crime statistics (as recorded by the police) only contains information regarding the crimes that are reported and recorded by the police, courts and prisons. Previously the police had a certain amount of control over which crimes were recorded but since 2002 all crime has to be recorded. All those crimes which go unreported are known as a dark figure of crime. Hidden, unnoticed and ignored crimes belong to this category and all these are excluded from official statistics. Crimes occurring within a family or involving children are the most common types of unreported crimes. People may not report crime for different reasons, for example, lack of trust in the police or choosing to deal with the situation personally. It has been suggested that only about fifteen percent of crime is reported to the police. For this reason it is clear that statistics do not measure and provide a clear figure of total crime, therefore they are not reliable. There are other problems in comparing statistics over time including: changing legislation; changing interpretation of the law by the judiciary; and the changing morals and greater sensitivity of the general public. To conclude, crime refers to behaviours that are a violation of the criminal law, but the law is under constantly under review. Changes in police practices, priorities, politics, law and what our definition of what constitutes a crime, have a dramatic impact on statistics. Although the accuracy of collected crime statistics are often questioned, they still provide us with insight, keeping the public, the media and other groups informed about the problem of crime. Even if they do not represent our experience of crime, they allow us to investigate the ever changing nature of crime and deviance. Bibliography M. Haralambos M. Holborn (2008) Sociology Themes and Perspectives J. Muncie and E. McLaughlin (2001) The Problem of Crime David W. Jones (2008) Understanding Criminal Behaviour.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau :: essays research papers

The Island of Dr. Moreau The Island of Dr. Moreau is a story that questions the ability of men playing God. The balance of nature is put to the ultimate test as a man by the name of Charles Edward Prendick stumbles across an out-of-control experiment that fuses man with animal. At first glance, this tropical paradise seems idyllic. But deep in the jungles lies a terrifying secret. Moreau and Montgomery have been preforming scientific research on human beings and the experiment goes terribly wrong. They have ignored the most fundamental law of the jungle: survival of the fittest. The first illustration is a drawing of Doctor Moreau explaining his status on the island to Prendick. Prendick has been finding out things that he shouldn't have been knowing, and he demands answers. He gets his answers from Dr. Moreau but he hears things that are unimaginable. Moreau explains how he mutates humans into beast-like animals. For the rest of Prendick's stay on the island he maintains an uneasy feeling and he wishes he never arrived on this island. The Next sketch illustrates the beasts new thirst for blood, which is a major turning point for the story. Roaming free, these beast-people are highly intelligent with murderous instincts. Their thirst for blood is pacified through a combination of sedatives and shock discipline. But events triggered by Prendick's unexpected arrival are about to break Moreau's God- like domination over these resentful creatures. The last drawing in my visual essay symbolizes a catastrophe. This was a point in the novel were all hell broke loose. Prendick found himself in the middle of a violent eruption between the doctor and his "family." Moreau, Montgomery, and most of the beasts lost their lives. Prendick himself was even forced to kill. It ended up that he was the last one left on the island except for a few beasts. Prendick later escaped the clutches of his captors and flees the island leaving behind terror, but taking a new life with him.

Nike Background

Background information: Iconography Explanation Nike Heritage NIKE, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. He sat next to Zeus, king of the Olympian pantheon, in Olympus. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, NIKE presided first battle in history. A Greek saying: â€Å"When we go to battle and win, we say it is NIKE. † Synonymous with honored conquest, NIKE is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the world's greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and success. Swoosh' The NIKE embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization. (From Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996) The Swoosh The Swoosh logo is a graphic design created by Caroline Davidson in 1971. Represents the wing of the Greek goddess Nike. Caroline Davidson was a student at Portland State University in advertising. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company.Phil Knight Caroline asked to design a logo which could be placed on the side of a shoe. He handed the swoosh, gave $ 35. 00. In the spring of 1972, the first shoe with the Nike logo was introduced †¦.. the rest is history! (De Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996) A Brief History of Nike The Nike athletic machine began as a small set of distribution located in the trunk of Phil Knight's car. From these principles and not unfavorable, the brainchild of Knight became the athletic shoe company that would come to define many aspects of popular culture and myriad varieties of cool.Nike emanated from two sources: Bill Bowerman's struggle lighter, more durable racing shoes for his Oregon runners, and Knight's search for a way to earn a living without having to give up his love of athletics. Bowerman track coach at the University of Oregon where Phil Knight ran in 1959. Bowerman desire for better quality shoes clearly influenced Knight operating in their search for a marketing strategy. Between them, the seed of the most influential sporting company grew.The story is this: to get his MBA at Stanford in the '60s, Knight took classes with Frank Shallenberger. The semester-long project was to create a small business, including a marketing plan. Synthesis of attention to quality shoes Bowerman and growing view that cost high-quality/low products could be produced in Japan and shipped to the U. S. for distribution, Knight found his niche. Shallenberger thought the idea interesting but certainly no business jackpot. Nothing became Knight project. Cut to 1963.Phil Knight traveled to Japan on a world tour, filled with the wanderlust of young people looking for a way to delay the inevitable call of professional life. Apparently, on a whim, Knight scheduled an interview with a Japanese running shoe manufacturer, Tiger – a subsidiary of the Onitsuka Company. Presenting himself as the representative of an Americ an distributor interested in selling Tiger shoes American runners, Knight told the businessmen of his interest in your product. Blue Ribbon Sports – the name Knight thought the moments when asked he represented – was born.Tiger executives liked what they heard and Knight placed his first order for Tigers soon after. In 1964, Knight had sold $ 8,000 worth of Tigers and placed an order for more. Coach Bowerman and Knight worked together, but ended up hiring a full-time salesman, Jeff Johnson. After reaching $ 1 million in sales and riding the wave of success, Knight et. al. devised the Nike name and trademark Swoosh in 1971. By the late '70s, Blue Ribbon Sports officially became Nike and went from $ 10 million to $ 270 million in sales.Katz (1994) describes the success through Nike placement within the matrix of the fitness revolution, â€Å"the idea of exercise and game-playing ceased to be something that the average American did for fun† rather Americans returne d to work as a cultural signifier of status. Clearly, the circumstances surrounding the change are not that simple, is one of the objectives of this project to discover other generators of popular attention to health. If Nike did not start the fitness revolution, Knight says, â€Å"at least there. And we are confident that ran for a hell of a ride† (Katz, 66).The 80 and 90 produce increased profits as Nike began to assume the appearance of athletic giant, rather than the underdog of old. â€Å"Advertising Age† named Nike the 1996 Marketer of the Year, citing the â€Å"ubiquitous swoosh †¦ was more recognized and coveted by consumers than any other sports brand – certainly brand† (Jensen, 12/96). That same year, Nike's revenues were a staggering $ 6. 74 billion. Expect sales of $ 8 billion in fiscal 1997, Nike has targeted 12 billion in sales by 2000. And all from the back of a car. Few can question Nike's financial hegemony.But nearly $ 7 billion in revenues clearly begs the question, what sells these shoes? It is my contention that the power of Nike to sell comes from deep longings of cultural integration and sport individual achievement. These seemingly paradoxical desires collide in the hearts and minds of consumers and produce the unyielding zeal for Nike shoes and clothing. Unfortunate effects of this heat can be found in the killings of Nike apparel in 1991, and the profusion of Nike collectors and websites designed around the company's products. See list of web pages in the Works Cited page) Nike appeals to these disparate elements of Americans' personalities through an advertising philosophy that is at once simple and sublime. Furthermore, the practice of Nike high-level athletes promoting their products appeal to countless ages and creeds as a way to identify and emulate their sports heroes. These forces act powerfully upon the individual consumer, but we must not lose sight of the cultural context in which the person moves.

The Benefits Of Legalizing Prostitution - 1500 Words

The Benefits of Legalizing Prostitution Prostitution is supposedly the oldest profession in the world. It is legal in some countries, such as the United Kingdom and Germany. However, in the majority of the world, prostitution is illegal. The legalization of prostitution has become a popular dispute between what is morally right and wrong. There would be economic benefits in the amount of revenue that governments generate if prostitution were to become a legal line of work. However, many people are against legalizing a profession that is considered immoral. It is a profession that is going to take place, whether or not it is legalized. Legalizing prostitution is needed to ensure those who provide and those who pay for this service, a safer and healthier environment. This essay will provide supporting evidence for this claim. The risks of becoming infected and spreading diseases when involved in prostitution are high, but if legalized, regulations can be made that would provide the proper health care. The life story of a woman named Irina in an article, â€Å"For The Legalization of prostitution,† shared her personal experiences she had to overcome in her line of work. Irina stated that she faced many challenges, such as â€Å"†¦6 abortions and a bunch of diseases† (Amanzholova, and Akhmetova 45). This statement alone shows that diseases are not the only medical aspects that affect the lives of those involved in prostitution. Unwanted pregnancies and abortions are also high riskShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of Legalizing Prostitution1700 Words   |  7 PagesReleasing laws on prostitution †¦ specifically, legalizing this area of the sex industry, will create a profound impact on society. 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So what would happen if we legalize prostitution? In the United States, the federalRead MoreA Red Light District on Every Corner Essay1120 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout human history, most civilizations have considered prostitution as an illegal trade, but that does not necessarily mean that making prostitution illegal is the best choice. Many countries including the United States have begun to debate the merit of legalizing prostitution. Before making such an important decision, we must address certain questions. Would legalizing prostitution reduce some of the inequalities and abuse suffered by the men and women involved? Wou ld society lose decadesRead MoreLegalized Prostitution : Taking Back Control1470 Words   |  6 PagesLegalized Prostitution: Taking back Control â€Å"I originally intended to write in defense of legalizing prostitution, but hindsight has made me realize that I cannot defend a profession that dehumanizes its workers.† Tlatenchi, Fredy. 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