Socioilogy Essay Example for Free

Socioilogy Essay Many people are under the impression that the United States prison system is meant to punish those who have committed acts against the law. Although this is true, it has been proven that as a whole, the country has become exponentially more punitive, sentencing individuals at a far greater rate than in decades before. Nicola Lacey explains in American Imprisonment in Comparative Perspective that America is on an imprisonment â€Å"binge†. Until 1980, 110 people per 100,000 individuals were behind bars whereas today the numbers are increased to 740 people per 100,000. We live in a society of mass incarceration in which 1 out of every 100 adults are currently incarcerated. For a comparative perspective, America accounts for 5% of the world’s population while also accounting for 25% of the world’s incarcerated population. It is clear by the numbers that something has happened within the last thirty years to drastically increase the use of punishment. There are different explanations for the imprisonment binge in America, however the effects of incarceration on individuals, and consequences of penal practices have become a growing social problem. The extremely racialized incarceral system not only diminishes family life and distorts democracy, but also outcasts ex-convicts by discriminating them educationally and black-listing them from many everyday activities in society. Now more than ever, social circumstances effect one’s likelihood to be involved with crime and the criminal justice system as a whole. Class, Race and Hyperincarceration in Revanchist America by Loic Wacquant argues that mass incarceration does not exist in the United States, rather hyperincarceration, or finely targeting incarceration by class, race and place. This method of categorization associates imprisonment with poor, African American males. This triple selectivity of class, race and place is the reason Wacquant believes we have an absurd criminal justice system in the United States. It is unfair that predetermined factors dictate the involvement of blacks and other minorities with crime and incarceration. Not only has an increased punitive system in the United States contributed to discriminating against blacks, but it forms society’s view of blacks overall. Another piece of Saperstein and Penner’s paper investigates the hypothesis that â€Å"incarceration affects how respondents indentify themselves and how they are perceived by others: respondents who are or have been incarcerated will be more likely to be classified as black, and less likely to be classified as white† (Saperstein 93). The researchers use data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to examine the relationship between different dependent variables such as racial self-identification and racial classification. The independent variables in the experiment are incarceration and interviewer characteristics. The authors suggest that this racial affiliation based on incarceration creates a vicious cycle where inequality is reproduced. Saperstein and Penner’s hypothesis leads me to draw a direct connection between race and crime. The connection is not that blacks are more likely to commit crimes, rather society’s lens is more likely to affiliate crime with blacks. Because of the phenomena of mass incarceration, when a person thinks of a criminal, they tend to think of a black person. In turn, police officers, judges and prosecutors tend to assume the same, making blacks the targets of racial profiling and harsher sentencing. Not only are members of the courtroom workgroup likely to be more harsh on a black person, but this causes other people to look at members of every person in the black community as criminals. This scenario has a far greater effect on society than thought of at first glance. The prison system has a far greater effect on society beyond the prison walls themselves, especially in terms of family life. Although the prisoner is the person who directly feels the temporal sentence itself, families bear the cost of incarceration as well. As many people know, the majority of prisoners in the United States prison system are male. This is exemplified by the numbers at San Quentin Prison, being that 95% of all visitors are women. Wives, sisters, daughters and mothers travel for hours to spend a few short minutes with their loved ones behind bars. Megan Comfort explains the struggle to maintain family bonds â€Å"In the Tube at San Quentin: The Secondary Prisonization of Women Visiting Inmates†. The visitation system in many prisons are degrading in that cueing and waiting degrades the visitors time and depreciates the visit. Visitation restrictions stretch to the regulation of clothes and belongings in that 1/3rd of female visitors are asked to change some aspect of their attire for one reason or another. Female visitors experience many pains of imprisonment. In assimilating to the regulations and degradation of prison, female visitors undergo what Comfort calls a form of secondary prisonization. Not only are women penalized based on visitation regulations, but the prison system disorganizes families, causing them to bear many costs of incarceration. Marriage and divorce becomes an issue with many couples going through the prison system. The hardships of imprisonment on family life has a destabilizing effect, causing problems for wives and children equally. Bruce Western and Len Lopoo state in Punishment and Inequality In America, that although 60% of prisoners have at least monthly contact with family members in some way, visitations are relatively rare in that prisoners are places more than 100 miles away from home. An even greater effect that the carceral facility plays on the family is the stigma and shame many family members endure. Family life is one of the overlooked consequences of imprisonment that has a large effect on many individuals affiliated with the criminal justice system. It is evident that the incarceration system as a whole accounts for a civil death in the distortion of democracy. Essentially, prisoner votes count in the districts in which they are incarcerated. This means that more funding is given to districts which have a greater population due to the existence of a prison, however those behind the prison walls are not accounted for in their voting rights. This form of prison-based gerrymandering influxes the number of votes in an area in which prisons are located, giving a political advantage to those running for office. Christopher Ugger and Jeff Manza write about the elimination of voices of formally incarcerated people in their piece Lost Voices: The Civic and Political Views of Disenfranchised Felons. Since the prison system is on based around raced, the criminal disenfranchisement in the United States has taken the right to vote from 17% of African American men. It is clear that a major collateral consequence is the elimination of eliminating the voices of such a specific racial and social category. On major challenge of prisoner re-entry is the denial of access to education, not to mention the social ostracization the prison system imposes on individuals. Issac, a formally incarcerated individual and a member of the Center for Community Alternatives explains that after he was let out for criminal possession of a controlled substance, it was extremely difficult for him to get into college. The Dean at SUNY Oswego did not want him in the school because he was an ex-convict. Access to education is an issue for both formally incarcerated individuals, and individuals behind bars. President Bill Clinton passed the Crime Control Law Enforcement Act under his presidency which denied Pell Grants to criminals despite unanimous professional opinion that post secondary education reduces recidivism, bolsters carceral order, and increases public safety. Josh Page explains this in Eliminating the Enemy: The Import of Denying Prisoners Access to Higher Education. Page argues that lawmakers enacted this legislative penal drama oriented in the pursuit of political capital. The denial of prisoners access to education is not an economic decision being that prisoners receive less than 1% of Pell Grant dollars, rather a symbolic, communicative act. How can anyone argue this when it has been proven that it costs more not to educate prisoners? Aside from the implications of not allowing prisoners to gain secondary education, the hardships of ex-convicts to gain education effects their life and society greatly. If people cannot gain education after prison, they are less likely to get jobs, and in turn, more likely to reoffend. Making it more difficult for people to become re-acclimated with society creates a vicious cycle of recidivism. Aside from hindering access to education, the penal system as a whole creates a stigma for individuals life after prison. After being in prison, it is hard to rebuild connections with one’s family since they have been apart for so long. Ex-convicts are separated from society physically and institutionally. After being in prison, it is very difficult for an individual to regain their life and adjust to the new social circumstances they are subjected to, and have been shielded from for so long. An example of this occurs in Miami Day County. In Florida, Jessica’s Law banishes sex offenders to the streets by requiring that ex sex offenders live 2,500 feet or more away from parks, schools and daycares. Since parole requires that ex-convicts live in the county they committed a crime, Jessica’s law left hundreds of individuals living homeless under a bridge. This is one example of many ways in which prisoner re-entry becomes very difficult for individuals. Overall, the penal system is a cultural performance which challenges individuals across society and creates a system of inequality for all those affiliated with it.

Epic of Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays

The epic poem, Beowulf, is one of the oldest European epics in existence. When Beowulf was written, the writer incorporated many of the ideals of the Anglo-Saxons. Some of these ideals included loyalty, bravery, selflessness, and justice and were demonstrated in the hero. Both the characters Beowulf and Grendel represent aspects of both good and evil, Christianity and Paganism, and what occurs when they collide with one another. A characteristic of an epic poem is the concern over struggles that humans face, which is presented in a serious manner. The hero often embodies the religious, national, and cultural values of his homeland and abroad. The premise of the story is quite simple: the Danes were in distress because of the great monster Grendel, so Beowulf, a native of the Geats, sails to engage in battle with Grendel and become victorious in saving the seemingly faithless Danes. Throughout the epic, there are many instances where examples of the thirteen epic conventions are used in the writing of Beowulf and in describing both the ideals of the Anglo-Saxons and the underlying challenges with mortal problems, such as good versus evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beowulf, as an epic, can be demonstrated through examples in the writing of the story. Beowulf is often described as a national hero who embodies the ideals of his race or nation. He is referred to as, â€Å"†¦the strongest of the Geats, greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in the world,† and is shown as displa...

Assess the View That Cults and Sects Are Only Fringe Organisations That Are Inevitably Short Lived and of Little Influence in Contemporary Society Essay

It can be argued that cults and sects are only fringe organisations that are inevitably short lived and of little influence in contemporary society, however some may have views to contrast this idea. A sect is an organization, which usually breaks off from an established religion, which finds itself in disagreement with beliefs and values of wider society and refuses to tolerate the beliefs of others. Although the desire to be a member is voluntary, as oppose to being born into, like religion, sects are rejected by society and claim strong obligation and commitment by its members. A sect is an extremely narrow-minded organisation, which is often led by a charismatic leader. Whereas, in contrast, a cult does not progress from a mainstream religion and does not reject or challenge societal norms. However, as tolerant of other beliefs as they are, they still attract a great deal of negative press, for example brainwashing. Members in a cult are usually more like customers than followers. An example of a cult is Heavens gate, which is a destructive doomsday cult, centered in California. There is a mass of supporting evidence that cults and sects are short lived and insignificant to wider society. Nevertheless, it must be maintained that the matter is complex as there are many sects and cults, which identify themselves differently. There is evidence to support this view of a short-lived nature of sects. This is due to many reasons. World rejecting sects, due to their nature and succeeding societal rejection and stigma of bad press, must be able to compromise with society and becoming a denomination and therefore cease to be a sect, if this is not done then the sect will die out. There is also an argument that sects cannot have a great deal of affect upon society over a long term period as they cannot survive past the charismatic leader’s lifetime and therefore sustain themselves over more than one generation. The American theologian Niebuhr theorises that another reason for transience of sects is that they rarely live past the 1st generation because the 2nd generation usually lacks the belief of the 1st. In this way, their membership dwindles as the 2nd generation chooses to leave the sect and hold other views in wider society. However Wilson disagrees with Neibuhrs view and says that he overates his case and chooses to not pay attention to groups who did preserve a ‘ distinct sectarian stance’. Similarly, evidence proves to discredit the belief that a sect fails to live on past their leader’s death. For example, The Mormons have continued for many generations and also the Amish- however this could be attributed to the protective ‘isolation-like’ in which they live. There is also a possibility that the Moonies surviving is due to the leader preparing for his son to take over his position as the charismatic leader after his death, however this is yet to be seen. Cults have seen a large incline in their number recently and because they are more accepting of wider society and despite receiving bad press, offer a practical solution to peoples’ issues and wishes, seem less likely to die out due to refusal and disapproval. They are also financially rather stable, the Church of Scientology for example has an estimated income of over  £200m per year. This is down to the consumer attitude of cults. There is also a mass of evidence for their importance in society in a sense that audience cults have a mass market of ‘self help therapy’ there are many books available for example, tarot reading, crystals and reflexology regularly appear on the best seller list and often more room is devoted to these books rather than Christianity books themselves. The view that cults are fringe movements is less supported than that for sects. Sects very infrequently continue on as sects but cults such as scientology are not only prosperous but also have a huge celebrity following trend; admired by the public for example Tom Cruise. There is also evidence that sects and cults can be of great influence to society – though it is debatable as to whether or not that is possible today in a society as apparently secular as ours. Weber suggests in his Theodicy of Disprivilege that because they offer a solution to problems: justification and explanation for life and its problems, to marginalised groups such as dropouts or ethnic minorities, world rejecting sects that offer status appeal to people. An example of this is Liberation Theology which was for the poorer people which had great influence upon the priorities of the Catholic Church in Latin America (though it has become more conservative, it continues to represent human rights and democracy). Bruce argues that it is not a religion and is instead a shallow, meaningless thing. Due to the elements of choice it offers, the choice about which bits to believe and whether to take its readings into account, it does not require commitment. This he argues prevents it having religious status. Post Modernists see it as being spiritual shopping: it is part of a consumerist culture. Despite not necessarily being a religion, there is lots of evidence to show that it has influenced society as a whole and, some sociologists would claim, aided secularisation. There is also evidence to show that it is unlikely to be particularly short lived as it fits in so well with our Capitalist, consumerist society and our individualistic values and is so profitable. Therefore, though there is strong evidence to show that sects and cults are ‘fringe organisations’, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that neither are short lived in themselves either through the Sectarian cycle or demand and supply (though sects tend to become denominations) and also to suggest that the influence of sects and cults on society is greater than expected; though the influence of sects and cults is exemplified by older examples and so one cannot be sure as to how successful they will be in today’s society, except in regards to specific sects and cults. In conclusion, the view that cults, sects are fringe organisations that are inevitably short-lived and of little influence in modern-day society, is on the whole not wholly correct but has some strength in that the permanency of all is arguable as is their status as fringe organisations.

Steroids Should Not Be Banned - 1857 Words

Cheating does not count if there is no way to get caught. For example, if an athlete uses steroids to enhance their performance but does not get caught then it is not considered cheating at all. This topic of cheating and the use of steroids can be linked together because steroids help a person â€Å"cheat† on their performance abilities and physique, specifically for athletes of modern day. There has been an increase of the use of steroids in order to enhance the performance of many athletes and including some put in the Hall of Fame. It has become a big topic of debate in the world of sports today. Any athlete who has ever used steroids should still be allowed to have his or her name in the Hall of Fame. In order to understand that it should still be allowed, as long as the athlete does not get caught, the history, origin, negative and positive effects, and the morals of the topic need to be examined. First, to understand whether or not athletes who have used steroids should be allowed in the Hall of Fame or not, one must first understand what a steroid does and how it originated. Steroids are mainly composed of derivatives of testosterone in order to increase performance skills and ability. They are used to masculinize the body and build up muscle tissue. They can also be referred to as androgenic and anabolic steroids. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are artificial derivatives of testosterone. As stated by James Wright and Victoria Cowart in their book, AnabolicShow MoreRelatedShould Steroids Be Banned?534 Words   |  2 PagesThe third argument presented is that even if steroids are banned, they should not be banned from sports because there are a multitude of other risks already associated with sports, and steroids increase competition. Just last year, a media car ran Johnny Hoogerland off the road during the Tour de France, sending him headlong into barbed wire. Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann famously had his leg broken and career ended mid-game, and the devastating long term effects of concussions are rapidlyRead MoreSteroids Should Not Be Banned1631 Words   |  7 Pagesfan’s face into the concrete This all happened because the football player was taking steroids. People say steroids are not dangerous but they are very dangerous because steroids can damage the person and their body, are also very addicting, and also ruin your sporting careers. Terms associated with steroids are stacking and cycling. Some users combine several different types of steroids or add other steroids or nonsteroidal supplements in an attempt to make them big which is known as stacking (Arnold)Read MoreSteroids Should Not Be Banned2093 Words   |  9 PagesSteroids By: Taci Miller For many years people have debated whether not to have steroids in sports, or to keep them away from all competition. However some athletes use steroids anyway to â€Å"get ahead† of the competition. These action can cause athletes being kicked out of a game or even all future competition. Some people ask â€Å"Why use steroids?† Some athletes use drugs, where they can train their bodies hard and then have their bodies recover fast. Different types of athletes use steroids in differentRead MoreSteroids Should Not Be Banned1316 Words   |  6 PagesSteroids have been around the athletic programs for years and the most testing has come out to spot this type of cheating in order to make playing sports fair. Society has become very lazy over the years and building up hard work has been taking for granted and a lot of people these days spend more time trying to cheat than making the effort to stay steady at the gym and achieve perfection correctly. Effects on steroids come with the good and bad just like everything that is added to the body. WhenRead MoreAnabolic Steroids Should Be Banned1348 Words   |  6 PagesSteroids, more specifically anabolic steroids, are drugs that can be legally prescribed or taken illegally, to boost strength and increase athletic performance. They are based off of the hormone testosterone. On the street where the drug is sold illegally, the common slang names are â€Å"arnolds†, â€Å"gym candy†, â€Å"pumpers†, â€Å"roids†, â€Å"stackers†, â€Å"weight trainers†, and â€Å"juice†. Steroids have a long, long history, especially in regards to sporting events. Anabolic steroids were not really used worldwide untilRead MoreSteroids Should Not Be Banned Essay1611 Words   |  7 PagesSteroids are a Schedule III controlled substance in the U.S. and are illegal to own or use without a prescription from a doctor. Banned in almost all athletic competitions and sports because they work so well, but are dangerous in large quantities as anything else is. More properly known as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) and are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, that behave like male sex hormones. They include hormones, alkaloids, and vitamins. Steroids can be taken three different ways;Read MoreSteroid Use Sports : Steroids Should Not Be Banned2008 Words   |  9 PagesSteroid use in sports When it comes to the topic of steroid use in sports, some of us will agree that it is a debatable topic. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of whether or not it is cheating to use steroids while in a sport. Whereas some are convinced that it is not cheating due to the benefits it provides towards muscle growth and repair, others maintain their belief that it is a form of cheating because of the regulations that have been acted upon it. I agree thatRead MoreAnabolic Steroids Should Be Banned844 Words   |  4 PagesAnabolic Steroids are used to decrease inflammation and reducing the activity of the immune system. Steroid drugs are a class of synthetic compounds that act to mimic hormones that occur naturally within the human body. There are three types of steroids anabolic, androgenic and corticosteroids. Androgenic steroids and corticosteroids are used to treat many medical conditions. Anabolic steroids can also be used to treat medical conditions but thos e are also the kind that are often abused by some athletesRead MoreAnabolic Steroids Should Be Banned Essay1118 Words   |  5 PagesAn anabolic steroid is a synthetic steroid hormone that resembles testosterone in promoting the growth of muscle (NIDA 2004). Anabolic Steroids are taken by many athletes, whether male or female and can harm the body. There are many anabolic, androgenic effects, and risks. When you continue to negatively use this kind of drug to succeed life threatening consequences come into effect. ..(needs more context ) â€Æ' Introduction In many states and surrounding countries athletes are using what are labeledRead MoreAnabolic Steroids Should Be Banned Essay1814 Words   |  8 PagesFor years, anabolic steroids have been used by competitive athletes have used to improve performance through muscular size or strength, and by noncompetitive weight trainers for purely cosmetic physique enhancement. In the vast majority of cases, users of that have taken steroids for prolonged periods have reported considerable gains in physical size and strength. However, a large number of side effects and health risks have been linked to extended use of anabolic steroids. Research has indicated