In Chapters 5 and 6 of Law, Justice and Society entitled, "Crime and Criminal Law," and "Criminal Procedures," we find out what actually constitutes a crime and how criminal procedures are handled. oth of these chapters are relevant in the case of drug abuse. According to Chapter 5, there are five elements of criminal liability that make up a crime and must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The first is the criminal act itself and in the case of drug abuse, this would be the actual use of illegal drugs. The second is criminal intent meaning that the abuser intended to use the drugs. The third is concurrence which is the combination of the criminal act and criminal intent. The fourth is causation which factual and legal and the fifth liability is harm which can be to the person or to someone else.

Chapter 6 of the textbook deals with…...

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Bibliography

Hemmens, C., & Walsh, A. (2010). Crime and Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure. Law, Justice, and Society: A Sociolegal Introduction (2 ed., pp. 107-155). New York: Oxford University Press, USA.

Musto, D.F. (2002). The Ford Administration: The White Papers on Drugs. The Quest for Drug Control: Politics and Federal Policy in a Period of Increasing Substance Abuse, 1963-1981 (pp. 140-184). unknown: Unknown.

Wallace-Wells, B., & Magnuson, E. 2007. "How America Lost the War on Drugs." Rolling Stone (1041): 90-119. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Stohr, M. (2008) Women and the Law. Walsh, A. And Hemmonds, C. (Eds.) Law, Justice, and Society. A Sociological Introduction (269-291). Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press.

On the surface the subjects of these readings are very different. Wallace-Well and Magnuson provide a detailed history and account of United States policy towards the enforcement of drug control policy. The reading in Law, Justice, and Society gave a brief summary of women's rights and representation in American law. Both subjects are highly contentious and highly important, and but most importantly, both mention the legal discrimination against marginalized groups. The Rolling Stone article discusses, among other subjects, the disproportionate negative effect the war on drugs had an against minority communities. The reading from Law, Justice, and Society gave an account of the…...

While in Durkheim's concept of moral density, competition is a pre-existing condition, rationalization and social change in Weber's terms is determined by the enhancement or development of humans in their ability to adapt to their social environment. Competition, although a factor in the individual's social environment, did not become the focus of Weber's process of rationalization, as compared to Durkheim's conceptualization. Marx's dialectical materialism is likened to Durkheim's concept of competition in that through this concept, human society is illustrated to be part of an ongoing history of social change premeditated by class conflict, which emerged out of the unequal control of the mode of production or technology. The relationship between the forces (elite and working classes) and mode of production determine the existence of a class stratification and conflict in the society. This class conflict led to differentiated roles in the society, resulting to formal rationality, and ultimately,…...

The third reason that I chose Marx is the apparently cyclical nature of change and restriction. The last century has seen some tremendous social changes. The 1960s Civil ights Movement and the Sexual evolution changed the face of modern America. However, there seems to have been a pendulum swing back to more restrictive behavior. It is now considered more appropriate to be openly sexist and racist than it was in the 1980s. In fact, propaganda has promoted the idea of the white, middle-class, Christian male as being the target of discrimination, even though this group still maintains almost all of the status-related privilege that it had prior to either of those movements, still getting more opportunities and greater benefits, as a group, than racial minorities, women, or religious minorities. One example of this is a chain e-mail I received that said something along the lines of "Dear God, why is…...

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References

Kreis, S. (2008). Karl Marx, 1818-1883. Retrieved March 2, 2012 from the History Guide

website:  http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/marx.html 

Vissing, Y. (2011). An introduction to sociology: Ashford University discovery series. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Wolff, J. (2010). Karl Marx. Retrieved March 2, 2012 from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy website:  http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/marx/

Instead, the welfare system encouraged perpetual social dependency and provided a reason for poor people not to work at all when the most reliable method of achieving financial independence (besides continuing education) is precisely, to begin working at minimum wage jobs while gradually learning skills and establishing contacts and a record of regular employment that are essential in the long- term goal of qualifying for better work in time (Healey, 2003 p56).
The Need for Welfare Reform:

While elements of government assistance programs are still subject to epidemic abuse (Schmalleger, 2007 p104), the reconfiguration mandated by Congress in 1996 are designed to rectify some of the most glaring problems plaguing the federally administrated programs previously. First and foremost, the new state-run welfare programs must, by federal law, establish caps limiting welfare eligibility to discourage perpetual (even permanent) reliance on public funds as a substitute for making the necessary effort and commitment…...

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Bibliography

Healey, Joseph F. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class: The Sociology of Group Conflict and Change. London: Pine Forge (2003).

Henslin, James M. Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Boston: Allyn & Bacon (2002).

Macionis, John J. Sociology 9th Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall (2003).

Schaefer, Richard T. Racial and Ethnic Groups. New York: Harper-Collins (2001).

Individuals who never come into contact with other societies may live their entire lives without the slightest idea that other societies exist, much less that other social norms and practices besides the ones to which they are accustomed as their reality are possible.
This element of human reality is also responsible for some of the worst recorded human behavior. On one hand, certain parts of human moral thinking is inherent as a natural part of us (Kluger 2007). On the other hand, so much of human morality is determined by subjective social constructs, that practically anything is acceptable to us, even to those of us who are inherently inclined to be good people.

History has shown many times that if the social construct within a given society presents cannibalism, or slavery, or the sacrifice of virgins to volcanoes, or even the systematic mechanized mass-murder of millions as acceptable, few individuals will…...

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REFERENCES GAO (2008) the Constitution of the United States of America.

Einstein, a. (1956) Out of My Later Yeas. Secaucus:: Citadel

Gerrig, R., Zimbardo, P. (2005) Psychology and Life 17th Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

Henslin, J.M. (2002) Essential of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Kluger, J. What Makes Us Moral?; Time Magazine (Nov. 20/07)

Macionis, J.J. (2002) Sociology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall

11).
Perhaps the most major and identifiable sociological theorist is Emile Durkheim. He literally helped formulate the ideas and theories of modern sociology, and many of the criminal justice theories are based on his ideas. Durkheim developed many of the modern theories of criminality, such as cultural disintegration, which can lead to an individual's gradual disassociation from society, with no bonds or commitments to a society that is dissolving around him or her. Durkheim felt this could help lead to deviant behavior and even suicide (Geiger & Fischer, 1995, p. 72). He also felt crime in society is normal, and it can even lead to desirable social reforms, ideas that were very revolutionary when he lived and worked in the late 19th century. Many later theorists used Durkheim's models, including social theorist Travis Hirschi, an expert in social control theory and delinquency.

Travis Hirschi is not the father of the social…...

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References

Geiger, B., & Fischer, M. (1995). Family, justice, and delinquency. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Hirschi, T. (2002). Causes of delinquency. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Books.

Thornberry, T.P., Krohn, M.D., Lizotte, a.J., Smith, C.A., & Tobin, K. (2003). Gangs and delinquency in developmental perspective. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

It is this struggle to maximize benefits that leads to such movements of social change in both politics and social revolutions. Conflict theory exists in direct opposition to the tenets of functionalist theory, arguing that instead of a society where everyone plays are particular part, society instead exists as a pyramid structure, with a group of elites that dictate the rules to the masses. Thus, all major societal institutions, including laws and traditions, exist for the sole purpose of maintaining this structure. Thus, according to the conflict theory, colleges and universities exist in order to perpetuate this status quo. On the one hand, colleges ensure that the elite become educated and thus capable of carrying on their leadership roles. On the other hand, students at the college are indoctrinated with the traditions of society.
Finally, the theory of interactionsim is based on the idea that nothing in society is determined…...

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Bibliography

Coser, L. Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context. For Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. 1977.

Harrington, a. Modern Social Theory: An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.

QUESTION THREE: "Is inequality of social classes inevitable?" The conflict theory put forward by Ralf Dahrendorf begins with a discussion of Marxism and the fact that in industry, the conflict between classes - the capitalist and proletariat (worker) - the worker had a natural inclination to be in conflict with the capitalists who were the authority, the bosses. The same kind of conflict carried over into the political realm as well, sometimes violent. The problem was that there was no system whereby conflicts could be resolved. But Marx's analysis, Dahrendorf goes on, was tainted because of his obsession with proletarian revolution.

At this point in his essay, Dahrendorf, though rejecting Marx in that context, asserts that since there are "interest groups" and "quasi-groups" those must then be considered "classes." And if there are classes, it is then logical to assume there will be groups, and quasi-groups that will always have "conflicting…...

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Works Cited

Berger, Peter; & Luckmann, Thomas. (1966). The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise

In the Sociology of Knowledge. Garden City NY: Anchor Books, pp. 51-55, 59-61.

Collins, Particia Hill. (1990). Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Boston: UnwinHyman, pp. 221-238.

Dahrendorf, Ralf. (1959). Class and Class Conflict in Industrial Society. Stanford: Stanford

These problems can hinder the development of a high quality of life for all Americans by creating structural barriers to success. Some important steps would be to increase political participation at the roots level of all underrepresented members of society and to lend a voice to those who currently have little say in the governance of the nation.
Wk-4 DQ-1. The political-economic system is generally set up along the lines of specific economic ideology that helps to define the role of government in the development of American society. The nature of work is in part defined by economic principles as well, for example the prevailing view that low-priced labor is key to competitiveness. This ideology intends to promote maximum economic development but it differs from the reality of work, in which economic distribution fails most Americans while benefiting few.

Wk-4 DQ-2. Some of the major causes of illiteracy are inadequate education…...

Sociology Take Home Final
Unequal Power Relationships and Laborers

The unequal power relationship that characterizes many employment relationships is characteristic of industrialized capitalism. Capitalism itself is defined by the manufacturing division of labor, which systematically divides the work of economic production into limited operations. The result is that no one man in the Capitalist system would know how to produce a good from start to finish, destroying the traditional notion of occupations, e.g. artisans or craftsmen.

ecause each worker is only qualified to perform a particular, often narrow, task which creates no value in itself but must be combined with the fruits of other tasks by the Capitalist, the worker is at the mercy of the Capitalist who owns the means of production. The dominant mode of employment arising from the manufacturing division of labor is wage labor. In wage labor, a worker does not work to improve his own property, as with…...

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Bibliography

Adler, William M. Mollie's Job: A Story of Life and Work on the Global Assembly Line. New York: Scribner, 2000. Print.

Appiah, Anthony. Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print.

Bowe, John. Nobodies: Modern American Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy. New York: Random House, 2007. Print.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2001. Print.

Sociology Discussion Responses
Response to Post #1

While I agree completely with your sentiments and your long-range goals and the values they represent, I am not so sure that providing the resources you mentioned is as realistic a solution as it may have been in prior years. In my opinion, there is actually a fundamental barrier to the goal of increasing the availability of social programs in the current political climate. Specifically, there seems to be a complete disconnect between the appreciation of the importance of social assistance programs and the stated policies being promoted by the Right Wing Conservative representatives currently in office in Washington. Across the nation, republican members of the House of Representatives (in particular) have been exhibiting a continual failure to appreciate the relative importance and social value of the very types of programs that are so desperately needed in so many impoverished communities.

Instead of prioritizing social welfare…...

Sociology Discussion Responses
Response to Post #1

I agree with you completely about the moral travesty of the continuing social and political inequality in many African nations as well as the continuing detrimental effects, even today, of European colonialism on the African continent. Likewise, it is inexcusable that racial inequality still persists today. However, the inability of many African societies to overcome the challenges that still bar significant social reform and progress today are, unfortunately, also largely attributable to the degree to which the government authorities in some African nations have ignored the needs of the population and even diverted international supplies sent by Western nations intended as relief for the impoverished masses.

As you point out in your post, South Africa serves as a model of how much progress can be made under the leadership of individuals like Nelson Mandela, although local culture, practices, and customs also present significant obstacles, as you…...

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Your post seems to suggest that the disabled are still subject to widespread discrimination in contemporary American society. I would be curious to know whether you believe the various aspects of equal opportunity legislation enacted in the U.S. since the 1960s (and particularly in 1990) have made a substantial difference in that problem. I was under the impression that employment discrimination (especially) against the disabled has been sharply reduced since the Americans with Disability (ADA) Act of 1990. I would also be curious to know whether you believe that individuals suffering from certain types of disabilities are better protected against discrimination that individuals suffering from other types of disabilities and what factors you believe may be responsible for that difference. For example, I would imagine that mental disabilities might be much more subject to discrimination by virtue of stigmatization as well as because individuals suffering from mental disabilities might be more reluctant to assert their status to benefit from protections available under appropriate legislation.

Response to Post #6

I would disagree with one point in your post: namely, that women do not represent a large population. I believe that women represent more than half of the population which would actually make them the largest identifiable group potentially subject to discrimination and prejudice to the extent that it exists. While I completely agree that women should have the same employment rights and opportunities as men, I would be curious to know whether you think that there are any aspects of gender that might make certain occupations more challenging for women based strictly on undeniable anatomical differences, for example. Specifically, I would ask whether you believe that hiring standards and qualification tests (such as for firefighting and law enforcement positions, since you mentioned them) should use the same standards for all candidates or whether you believe that female applicants should have to meet lower standards, such as in connection with physical fitness and strength tests.

Sociology of the Workplace
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAHY

Gender Inequality at Workplace

Annotated Bibliography

Dixon, S. (2001). Work Experience and the Gender Earnings Gap. New Zealand Economic apers, 35(2), 152+. Retrieved March 27, 2012, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/M.qst?a=o&d=5002436019

In this article, Dixon reviews and presents the information about the work experience profiles of men and women working in New Zealand. The author uses two methods, which were introduced by Zabalza and Arrufat (1985) and by Filer (1993) for adding the women's actual paid work experience into the house hold survey databases. By using the imputed experience values and other skills, Dixon determines the components that are responsible for gender wage gap in late 1990s. This article is useful for research because it investigates that the shortfall in average hourly earnings of women is due to women's lower average level of skills which are needed for productivity. Moreover, it also discusses briefly the male and female differences in…...

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Pini, B. (2005). Interviewing Men: Gender and the Collection and Interpretation of Qualitative Data. Journal of Sociology, 41(2), 201+. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from Questia database:  http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5011020239 

Welsh, S. (1999). Gender and Sexual Harassment. Annual Review of Sociology,169. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from Questia database:  http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001895333 

Wolf, W and Fligstein, N. (1979). Sex and Authority in the Workplace: The Causes of Sexual Inequality. American Sociological Review, Volume 44, Issue 2 (Apr., 1979), 235-252.

Sociology Politics and Economic Life
Over the last several years, the political and economic system has been experiencing tremendous amounts of turmoil. Part of the reason for this, is because of the implosion in the asset prices related to the housing crisis and deregulation. To fully understand how this contributed to the current situation requires looking at the current state of democracy and equality in the United States. This will be accomplished by looking how the social elite manipulated these areas and the practices that have contributed to the current situation. Once this occurs, is when we will be able to offer the greatest insights as to how these factors are impacting the economic and social balance inside the nation.

Discuss how elites manipulated the political and economic systems to advance their interests and how these practices contributed the current economic crisis.

The way that social elite manipulated the political and economic systems…...

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Bibliography

Inside Job. (2011). IMDB. Retrieved from:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645089/ 

Brinkerhoff, D. (2008). Essentials of Sociology. Belmont, CA: Thomson.

1. The Intersection of Law and Social Stratification

Examine how laws and legal systems perpetuate or challenge social inequalities based on race, class, gender, or other social factors.
Analyze the role of law in shaping the distribution of wealth, power, and resources within society.
Discuss the impact of discriminatory laws or policies on marginalized groups and their access to justice.

2. The Role of Law in Social Control

Explore the various ways in which law is used to regulate and control social behavior, from criminal justice to family law and education.
Analyze the effectiveness of different legal strategies in achieving social....