Breaking Out Of Proportion: The Role Of Criminology

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The role of criminology branches out farther than what we normally take as just simply “the study of crime.” Criminologists play a role in explaining how crime functions in a society, while giving their two sense on how it should be changed and improved. Most assume the work of a criminologist consists of defining crime, measuring its rates, and finding ways to lower those rates to increase the safety and protection of the population, which is all true, however, what their work also involves is discovering ways that the definition of crime and criminal is manipulated in order to fully control a society, learning how error in crime measurement erupts, and analyzing how false claims pertaining to crime are blown out of proportion. We see each …show more content…

They ask us to consider what lies behind apparent agreement to label certain acts and certain people “criminal.” (Sheley, 33) A key point is that there are three means of maintaining interest in society, them being the threat of force, compromise, and domination of social institution. The threat of force calls attention to interest and preservation and dares others to alter the power structure. Compromise is preferred to force showing that all somehow benefit in society. While Domination of social institutions is the strongest mechanism for holding down power in the least aggressive way possible. These ideas are important in the role of criminology, not necessarily because of their substance, but because it shows that these criminologists first must define what they see crime as and apply it to their own work, seeing how crime is manufactured and trying to solve any issues that come about in today’s society. Showing the true role of criminologists and how they find the truth that is hidden in crime, striving to correct …show more content…

His argument stating that the incarceration system has become a corrupt institution, not for the rehabilitation of prisoners, but to contain and control the surplus population for the sole purpose of maintaining capitalism. “Thus, I am arguing that incarceration is at one level a rational strategy for managing the contradiction of a restricted American capitalism…regardless of what politicians say or believe, prison’s main function is to terrorize the poor and warehouse social dynamite and social wreckage.” (Parenti, 169) This is an unreasonable answer because it targets the poor (mostly poor people of color) and attempts to stuff all into a prison without probable cause. Not to say that all prisoners are innocent, because that is not true, but that over policing, over-militarized policing and the mass lock up of non-violent offenders has skyrocketed in order to keep the capitalist system running smoothly. His work on Lockdown has shown the role of a criminologist because he goes over his argument of how a crisis has erupted, stating how a system that was meant to protect the community has now become one that targets a community. Dehumanizing individuals, stripping away rights and treating prisoners like filthy animals. He also provides a solution to the problem, stating that less more, “My recommendations, as

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