Durkheim's and Merton's Sociological Positivism in Explaining the Essay

Durkheim's and Merton's Sociological Positivism in Explaining the Criminal Behavior - Essay Example So there are biological positivism, psychological positivism, and sociological positivism in criminology depending of the field of knowledge that is taken as reference. Sociological positivism in criminology makes a strong emphasis in the study of crime and criminal behaviour as a social phenomenon that is explained through the critical analysis of social structures, functions, and agents. Since criminology is an interdisciplinary science, sociological positivism also takes into account biological and psychological data when undertaking the study of crime and criminal behaviour. The study of deviance or abnormality in society belongs to the field of criminology, too. Sociological positivism attempts to explain crime and deviance from different angles trying to find valid and reliable theories that can help in its prevention and deterrence. Sociological positivism emerged as a scientific effort to fill the gap of other criminological studies based on biological and psychological perspectives, which were mostly centred on the individual. It also emerged in opposition of the Classical School of Criminology that was grounded on the standpoints of classical Greek philosophers, especially stressing the importance of free will (O'Connor, 2006). It was also based on utilitarian/hedonistic premises and the concept of social contract to whcih Durkheim was opposed (Hopkins Burke, 2005:91). Positivistic criminology takes a different position, and its main features are the following: 'The demand for facts, for scientific proof (determinism). There are body and mind differences between people (of these, the mens rea, or reasons for committing crime are important). Punishment should fit the individual criminal, not the crime (indeterminate sentencing, disparate sentencing, parole). The criminal justice system should be guided by scientific experts (rule by scientific elite, technocracy). Criminals can be treated, rehabilitated, or corrected (if not, then they are incurable and should be put to death). (O'Connor, 2006). The most influential figures in the field of sociological positivism in criminology are Quetelet, Guerry, Comte, Durkheim, Ferri, Garofalo, Merton and Agnew. 3. Durkhiem's and Merton's main features of sociological positivism. The main features of Durkheim's sociological positivism in criminology are the distinction between mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity, his views about the division of labour as a signal of social progress, his idea that crime and deviance are necessary for change and progress in society, and the introduction of the concept of anomie in the social structure for explaining the causes of crime and deviance (Hopkins Burke, 2005:91-95; Greek, 2005). For Durkheim, simple societies before the industrialisation process were formed by people that behaved and thought in similar ways since they performed similar work tasks with group-oriented goals (Greek, 2005). They were characterised by having mechanical solidarity. They had 'an intense and rigid collective conscience invariabley reinforced by sacred religious belief' (Durkheim paraphased by Hopkins Burke & Pollock, 2004:10). In this kind of society 'Repressive

Social work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Social work - Essay Example This gives the indication that even if the objective for equal educational opportunity to everyone is greatly supported by the values held sociologists, there is need to indulge in professional commitment as well as record accomplishment. It is therefore important to face these challenges by way of equipping educational social workers with basic knowledge on African American experiences as well as equipping urban schools which are considered to have massive enrolments of black students. It is very important to ensure improvement in policy making and leadership toward educational reforms especially in urban schools. Research indicates that policymaking in regard to educational reform is a variable missing especially when focusing on school social work discussion. This therefore creates the need for school social work to take responsibility so as to initiate various contracts based on major policy decisions. Social workers need to largely participate in public policy forum related to education reform. School choices play a major role in educational reforms with main focus on schools in urban cities. Therefore, development of various school choice issues is perceived to change the function and structure of existing urban school. School choices can be through school vouchers that are considered to be an issue of equality in education whereby a state or federal educational funding is directly issued to those families that are underprivileged and would like to enroll in private schools. Educational social workers can engage in organizing various community forums to bring both school personnel and organizers together to discuss key reforms needed in the education system. Also, research plays an important role in policymaking educational reforms with main focus on black culture in the educational system. Through research, many researchers have identified critical issues within the African American

Parenting Tips Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Parenting Tips - Essay Example Most parents are still using traditional and outdated parenting skills to raise their children. These skills have proved to be ineffective. For a parent to be good, there are a number of tips that he or she needs know. This paper, therefore, looks at good parenting tips and what makes a good parent. Good parenting tips An effective and very essential tip for good parenting is showing love, not only for the children, but also among the parents. Children do always feel better when they are brought up with parents who love each other. Parents should, therefore, work hard on their love first so as to build a loving family. They should avoid engaging in activities such as dishonesty, alcoholism and domestic violence that might make them unhappy, stressed up and frazzled. It is important for parents to know the fact that children do always copy several stuffs from their elders. Therefore, they need to be the best role model for happiness and healthy adulthood (Swindol 94). Parents need to ensure that their marriage is strong enough to bring the family together. Children need both parents for better development. Therefore, marriage that experiences divorce and separation cases will negatively affect the development of children. In order to practice good parenting, it is essential for parents to put their marriage first before anything else. Parents can strengthen their marriage by developing trust between themselves, being honest to one another, loving each other and being able to sacrifice for better development of family relationship (Swindol 150). Therefore, good parenting is about having happy marriage that children will be pleased with and use the observed partnership as a model for their relationships in future. Another tip for good parenting is ensuring that quality time is given to children. Many parents do always believe that spending a lot of time with their children will interfere with their development and even make them docile (Sukh 17). Creating time for children is very essential for their development. Many parents who are working do always find it hard to create time for their children. Majority of these parents do believe that good parenting is about giving children a lot of cash, which is not true. Good parenting is about creating enough time for the children. No matter how hard the condition might be, parents should ensure that they create time for their children so as to give them their tender care and love. Sukh argues that the stronger the relationship among parents and their children, the better opportunities for effective parenting (18). Sukh highlights that children like being close to their parents and no excuses or any kind of explanation will convince them about the absence of their parents (19). Availability of parents makes children develop powerful sense of worth. It also makes children to understand that they are loved. Parents’ availability makes children know how they are loved. The sense of being loved o r wanted is very essential for children’s psychological development (Sukh 19). Therefore, as a good parenting tip, parents should try their best to always have quality time with their children. How to be a good Being a good parent can be attained in a number of ways. As a parent, it is essential to avoid criticizing children and instead, praise them always. Praising children normally makes them strong and confident in everything they involve in. Confidence can be developed among children by avoiding

“Pretty Little Liars” by Sara Shepard Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Pretty Little Liars† by Sara Shepard Essay Freud believes that it is part of everyone’s personality to seek pleasure through violence; it is part of the â€Å"ID.† However, the ego negotiates between the ID and superego, meaning the majority of people can regulate between the morals of society and their own pleasures. I agree with this, as does Sara Shepard, the author of â€Å"Pretty Little Liars.† I believe that people who seek pleasure through violence are ill minded, and have psychological issues, due to the fact that the ego should be able to tell the brain to follow the morals of society. ‘A,’ a character from Pretty Little Liars, nobody can solve the mystery regarding who exactly ‘A’ is, however they are ill-minded, and seek pleasure in harming others as a joke. Ill-minded people like this are evil. Most people follow the morals of society, but still enjoy violence. How the person goes about enjoying it is what differs them from everyone else. For example, an individual could can enjoy watching crime shows, such as CSI, Criminal Minds, Law and Order and many others. Even though they enjoy these shows it does not mean that they would go out and seek to hurt someone the way the criminals do to their victims in the show. In â€Å"Pretty Little Liars,† Aria, Hannah, Emily, and Spencer are all good people. They do not go seeking violence, they do not seek harm. This is the way most people in society are. These ‘good people’ have a good ego. Meaning it is negotiating their wants to work with the morals of society. A very select few are ill-minded wishing only harm upon others. ‘A’ from â€Å"Pretty Little Liars† is one of these select few. She or he makes it their goal to ruin the lives of Aria, Hannah, Emily and Spencer. For example, Aria gains an interest in a man during the summer; little did she know he was her new English teacher. They keep it a secret between only them; they were not going to let that tare their new love for each other apart. However, ‘A,’ knows everything. They know how Aria’s dad (a teacher) had an affair on his wife years ago. Due to the fact that Aria is keeping her relationship a secret she receives a text message, signed A, saying, â€Å"Aria, Maybe he fools with students all the time. A lot of teachers do†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Just ask your dad! –A† (Shepard, page 139). This quote shows how A knows everything. They know the girls’ past, and use it against them. ‘A’ is a murderer, they killed Allison during the beginning of the novel, and Ian during the end. ‘A’ did not intend to kill Ian but meant to kill Spencer. The girls have no understanding as to why they are ‘A’s’ targets. They are good people, not intending any harm. This is not a normal person. Innocent people are killed every day because people are sick. They seek pleasure in watching the suffering of an innocent individual. It is not normal or moral, for people to be this evil. I can speak on a personal level. I do not seek pleasure through violence, I do enjoy crime shows, but does that make me a bad person? No. Although someone has enjoyed taking their pleasure out on me by violence, and those that do that to an innocent person are evil. I do not think that the people that look for pleasure in violence truly understand how they affect a person. I can relate to the girls in Pretty Little Liars because they seek help, sometimes people will try and help you, other times it’s a hard concept for many to believe. Emily, Aria, Hannah and Spencer cannot trust anybody the same because of the horror and threats they are encountering that affect their daily lives. Just as I cannot do a lot of things that I use to do prior to my incident. Nothing is the same. People that seek violence do not realize what they are actually doing to other people because they only seek self-pleasure, they are ill-minded. There is always going to be a psychological battle between the ID and superego, however the ego’s ability to negotiate between the two is what will make or break an individual. There are many ill-minded people in our world, there is help. ‘A’ is an evil person, just like many in our world seeking pleasure in selfish ways because they don’t know any different. Their effects on people could be unfortunate. Not everyone is made evil, it’s a psychological illness. There is good in this world. Works Cited Shepard, Sara. Pretty Little Loars. New York: Harper Teen, 2006. 139. Print.

Muslims, Jews, and Christians Must Embrace Each Other Essay -- Philoso

Muslims, Jews, and Christians Must Embrace Each Other From the dawn of creation, God has been and will always be the central foundation of life. God created man to worship Him, but throughout the ages men have gone their separate ways to create different ways to worship God. From this separation many different religions have formed. Each distinct religion has various forms of beliefs. Although Islam, Judaism, and Christianity established their roots in God, each religion differs in living out their faith and in their own way discriminates against people with different beliefs from their own. Muslims, along with non-Arabs, practice the religion of Islam. Muslims believe that â€Å"Islam has always been the only acceptable religion in the sight of God† (Squires). Muslims feel as if their religion is the only real religion; â€Å"anyone who submits completely to God and worships Him alone is a Muslimâ€Å" (Squires). Muslims also believe that their religion is one of peace, so they try and convert many people to Islam. One aspect of the Islamic religion deals with salvation. Muslims accept that a person is saved through their works. Some of their works include â€Å"offering prayers five times a day, giving alms, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least one in their lifetime† (Best). Muslims hold on to their faith in that if they accomplish these different works, they will be saved and go to heaven. But, by any chance that they live an indifferent life, Muslims can receive an â€Å"automatic ticket to heaven by killing an infidel, someone who will not convert to Islam† (Best). The Islamic religion believes that Almighty God, or Allah, shows grace through saving sinners, and through Allah’s grace a sinner may find his... .... â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2000. 1086-95. Hooks, Dr. Steve. Personal interview. 25 April 2003. Life Application Bible. King James Version. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1988. Rahman, Fazlur. â€Å"Islam: An Overview.† The Encyclopedia of Religion, 1987. Robertson, Pat. Are God and Allah the Same? The 700 Club. 27 April 2003 . ----. Why Jews Don’t Accept Jesus: A Look At History. The 700 Club. 27 April 2003 . Scott, Delaware Walter. Christianity and the Jew. Cincinnati: The Standard Publishing Co., 1914. Squires, Robert. Introduction to Islam. Muslim Answers. 2000 .

Poem Analysis: Boy with His Hair Cut Short

How do you see the world around you? As a beautiful paradise, or a grim failure? In â€Å"Boy with His Hair Cut Short†, we are given a glimpse into the life of a boy looking unsuccessfully for a Job during the â€Å"Great Depression†. While the boy remains doubtful that hell find a Job, his sister provides him with an optimistic viewpoint in hopes of giving him a glimmer of hope. In â€Å"Furniture Art†, we are introduced too girl who Is Interviewing her neighbor, Mr.. DuPont, for a project about deferent worldviews. Mr..DuPont shows her that the world truly Is a beauteous place, we simply need to open our eyes to see It that way. Though the sister and Mr.. DuPont both have a similar worldview, Mr.. DuPont's worldview Is more realistic. In â€Å"Boy with His Hair Cut Short†, the boy comes home after yet another unsuccessful day of Job-seeking. Even though he's crestfallen, his sister offers to assist him by cutting his hair shorter. While she cuts his hair , she continues to encourage him by telling him that â€Å"they can't keep turning you down; the finest gentleman's not so trim as you'† (18-19).But then we learn that this optimistic and hopeful demeanor is simply a facade, and that she feels just as hopeless as she does, when we read â€Å"meeting/ her earnest, hopeless look† (22-23). Upon reading this, we discover that she tries to look at a doubtful situation with a happy-go-lucky, unrealistic attitude. In â€Å"Furniture Art†, the narrator is working on a Socials project, in which she must interview a neighbor about their view of the world, and contrast it with her own.While interviewing him, she learns that English 10 Training Papers 2006/2007 Page 22 our supposedly good planet may not be so great, unless we look at it in a different way. Mr.. DuPont goes on to explain that Just because we have the money to buy stuff doesn't mean that we'll be happy, and that there is more to life Han materialistic purchas es. The narrator learns throughout Mr.. DuPont's interview that â€Å"the world is beautiful if you can see it that way, but no less or more than it already was†. 53) In the end, even though she got a â€Å"C+† on her project, the narrator finds that her new view of the world is invaluable. The worldview expressed in this story is more realistic because it addresses the major problem of our society, greed, and shows us to appreciate the world's natural beauty instead. Poem Analysis: Boy with His Hair Cut Short By mariachi â€Å"Boy with His Hair Cut Short†, we are given a glimpse into the life off boy looking fitful that he'll find a Job, his sister provides him with an optimistic viewpoint in who is interviewing her neighbor, Mr..DuPont, for a project about different worldviews. Mr.. DuPont shows her that the world truly is a beauteous place, we simply need to open our eyes to see it that way. Though the sister and Mr.. DuPont both have a similar worldview, Mr. . DuPont's worldview is more realistic. Gentleman's not so trim as you! † (18-19). But then we learn that this optimistic and hopeful demeanor is simply a facade, and that she feels Just as hopeless as she does, when we read â€Å"meeting/ her earnest, hopeless look† (22-23). Upon reading this,

Jefferson vs. Hamilton: Confrontations That Shaped a Nation

April 13, 1743 Albemarle County in the English colony of Virginia was the start of an American historical giant. Thomas Jefferson was born in affluence to his father, Peter Jefferson, a rising young planter in the Virginia colony, and his mother, Jane Randolph, who held a high status within the colony as well. Due to his father’s prosperity Jefferson was afforded the absolute best in the ways of education, starting with private tutors at the age of five, then moving on to learn how to read Greek and Roman in there original text and finally taking his studies to the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg which he would say is â€Å"†¦what probably fixed the destinies of my life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg 5. On the other side of the spectrum, a few years later another huge American historical figure is born. Presumably on January 11, 1755, Alexander Hamilton the bastard son of his father, James Hamilton, a Scotsman of a well-known family but never flourished on his own, and his mother, Rachel Fawcett Lavien, who had left her husband, John Lavien, to live with James Hamilton. There is very little said about Hamilton’s early life just that his father â€Å"drifted away† and his mother passed in 1768. Lacking wealth, Hamilton’s educational opportunities in his young life were nonexistent, this is not to say though that his youth was wasted it was here that he gained a vast knowledge of business and finance that he would later use in his service to President George Washington. Even in their early lives it was easy to see the great dissimilarities between these two patriarchs, now I will discuss further more issues that Jefferson and Hamilton shared some differences of opinions. During the Philadelphia convention of 1787, which we now refer to as the Constitutional Convention, James Madison, representative from Virginia, in his notes of Hamilton’s lengthy speech on June 18, 1787 he writes, â€Å"Mr. Hamilton, had been hitherto silent on the business before the Convention†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg 17 Madison had added it to Hamilton’s character to be so, suggesting that it was out of respect of the men who were superior in age, abilities, and experience to him, but also making it clear that the matters before the convention were far too important for Hamilton to remain that way. Hamilton expressed dissatisfaction with both of the plans brought forward to the convention. The Virginia plan, which was a proposal to completely abandon the Articles of Confederation, and replace it with a bicameral national legislature, an executive branch selected by the legislature, a judiciary, and a council of revision with the power veto, and the New Jersey plan, which suggested to keep the Articles of Confederation, but revise it to give Congress the power to tax, regulate commerce, and choose plural executive and members of a supreme court. Hamilton felt both these plans lacked a strong central government. He was specifically displeased with the New Jersey plan â€Å"being fully convinced† Madison writes â€Å"that no amendment of the Confederation, leaving the States in possession of their Sovereignty could possibly answer the purpose. † pg 18-19. He feared that either of these plans would leave the newly founded country weakened and â€Å"†¦would ultimately destroy the confederation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg 20. Finally, though Hamilton would given the federal government more power, he supported what was to be and is now the Constitution of the United States of America and he became one of its leading supporters during the ratification process. Though Jefferson was unable to join the convention due to his duties in France as the United States Minister, he learned of its resolution in November 1787, from a copy sent to him by John Adams. After receiving a letter from Madison explaining the proceedings of the convention he articulated his likes and dislikes of the Constitution. Jefferson liked â€Å"the organization of the government into legislative, Judiciary and Executive† pg 23 and the powers given to each branch. Among his dislikes, the greatest seeming to be â€Å"†¦the omission of a bill of rights providing clearly and without the aid of sophisms†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg 23 the freedoms he felt inalienable to the human race. During the French Revolutionary war in 1789, Jefferson and Hamilton found each other on opposing sides once again. Jefferson felt that while the violence in the revolt was deplorable but he â€Å"†¦would have seen half the earth desolated. † pg 109 than to see the cause of liberty fail, feeling that â€Å"the liberty of the whole earth was depending on the issues of the contest. pg 109. While Hamilton, disagreed almost wholly on Jefferson’s justification for the violence in France. He â€Å"as a friend to mankind and to liberty†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg 106-107 rejoiced in the efforts made by Marquis de Lafayette, General of the French Revolutionary National Guard and after serving with Hamilton in 1781 a friend of his as well, but feared the steps in motion t o gain the freedom that Lafayette and all of France desired. It was said that Hamilton never commented on the French revolution without it bringing the â€Å"horror,† â€Å"abhorrence,† and â€Å"repulsion† to his mind. In the presidential election in 1800, Hamilton not being a native born citizen could never run for the presidency, but this didn’t stop him from doing a lot of work in the background to protect his big government federalist views. When he first learned of the federalist’s loss in New York he wrote a letter to Theodore Sedgwick urging him and the other federalists in the legislature â€Å"to support Adams and Pinckney, equally†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg 130 feeling that it was their only shot at a federalist for president. Hamilton went as far as to contact John Jay, federalist and the current governor of New York, to call a special session of the federally run legislature knowing that there were many objections to this proposal but feeling that â€Å"†¦the reasons for (the special session) outweigh the objections† pg 131. When it came time to vote the results ended as Jefferson 73, Burr 73, Adams 65, Pinckney 64, and John Jay 1. Hamilton now had a much different fight to make, while Jefferson was less than desirable as a candidate, Aaron Burr was an unthinkable choice in Hamilton’s mind. Knowing now that it either was going to be Burr or Jefferson, Hamilton started contacting people persuading them to vote Jefferson over Burr because â€Å"†¦Jefferson is to be preferred. He is by far not so dangerous a man and he has pretensions to his character. † pg 133. In April 1802, Spain had retroceded Louisiana to France, giving the French a valuable spot on the continent with the Mississippi river connecting the south U. S. to the rest of the commercial U. S. The big turning point was in October of 1802 when Spain invalidates the United States use of the ports on the river. Jefferson seemed to be very torn by this predicament having been the U. S. minister to France a few years previously saying â€Å"this is not a state of things we seek or desire. † pg 159. On April 30, 1803 James Monroe, a diplomat to France, left prepared to offer France up to fifty million livres, upon arrival he and Robert R. Livingston initialed an agreement that ceded all of Louisiana to the United States for $15 Million, the settling of which is looked on as the peak of Jefferson’s first term as president. Hamilton had a lot to say about this purchase feeling that Spain’s â€Å"†¦direct nfraction of an important article of (Spain and the U. S. ’) treaty†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg 164 was a call for war and â€Å"†¦should we have thought it advisable to terminate hostilities by a purchase, we might then have done it on almost our own terms†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg 164. In 1798 Congress was well on the way to signing into law two acts that they felt at the t ime were for internal security of the U. S. The naturalization act and a sedition act, the idea behind the naturalization act was the president reserved the right to deport any resident alien he deemed dangerous, or if the U. S. was at war with an alien’s home country. The sedition act made it a crime to combine, conspire or to oppose any lawful measure of the government, it also made it punishable to write, say, or publish anything to defame the president, Congress or the government of the U. S. Jefferson saw these acts as a slap in the face to the constitution feeling like it was â€Å"an experiment on the American mind to see how far it will bear an avowed violation of the constitution. † pg 115. Hamilton felt just a strongly about these acts in his letter to Theodore Sedgwick he asks â€Å"What, My Dear Sir, are you going to do with Virginia? pg 118 after he learns of Virginia’s protest to the acts. He felt as congress did that the acts were for the best of the country feeling that the government â€Å"†¦will not be the dupes of an insidious plan to disunite the people of America†¦Ã¢â‚¬  pg 119. To say that Jefferson and Hamilton were diametrically opposed on all subjects some would say is an over simplification, whil e the two disagreed on many topics there were also many things that they could come together in agreement on. The biggest example was the way both men looked at the Constitution, not to say that it was perfect in either man’s eyes but it was definitely an area where they came to a very nice compromise with each other’s beliefs about how this country should be run. Both of these men fought hard and struggled against opposing views to make this country what it is today, there is no telling what our present would look like without these two gentlemen who did their best to make this a free nation.