C Block Criminology 12 - Today we'll examine the role that socioeconomic structures within a society affect criminality. Specifically, we'll examine the Social Structure view of criminology that examines the impact of poverty on an individual’s chance of committing crimes. There are three major branches of social structure theories that include social disorganization theory, strain theory, and cultural deviance theory and we'll look at the connection between social disorganization, strain and deviance. A great TV show to look at that would help in order to understand this is the Wire that ran on HBO from 2002-2008. In the show institutional dysfunction and the decay of social structures cause urban Baltimore to become "gritty" and crime is one result.
From IMDb...
Set in Baltimore, this show centers around the city's inner-city drug scene. It starts as mid-level drug dealer, D'Angelo Barksdale beats a murder rap. After a conversation with a judge, Det. James McNulty has been assigned to lead a joint homicide and narcotics team, in order to bring down drug kingpin Avon Barksdale. Avon Barksdale, accompanied by his right-hand man Stringer Bell, enforcer Wee-Bey and many lieutenants (including his own nephew, D'Angelo Barksdale), has to deal with law enforcement, informants in his own camp, and competition with a local rival, Omar, who's been robbing Barksdale's dealers and reselling the drugs. The supervisor of the investigation, Lt. Cedric Daniels, has to deal with his own problems, such as a corrupt bureaucracy, some of his detectives beating suspects, hard-headed but determined Det. McNulty, and a blackmailing deputy. The show depicts the lives of every part of the drug "food chain", from junkies to dealers, and from cops to politicians
Alas district rules preclude me from showing you this (you really should watch it) so we'll instead focus on the Bloods and Crips in South Central LA.
Scott Kody joined the Crips in South Central Los Angeles in 1975 when he was in grade 6. He was released from Folsom Prison on parole in 1988, at the age of 24. Kody was one of the most ruthless gang leaders in Los Angeles and the California prison system but in 1985 he decided to reform. He adopted the name of Sanyika Shakur, became a black nationalist, and began a crusade against gangs. In Kody’s heyday, about 30,000 gang members roamed Los Angeles County. Today there are more than 150,000. It is estimated that in 2002 there were 21,500 youth gangs in the United States with 731,500 members. So social disorganization and strain can combine to develop a culturally deviant subculture that can grow exponentially in size.
At the end of the video I have a big question for you...and the question I'll have you work on for me is:
Have you ever perceived anomie if so what and why? What causes anomie? Is there more than one cause of strain?
D Block Human Geography 11 - Today we'll finish the movie FOOD, INC.
After the video we should have a good conversation about the questions I've asked you to look at while watching the movie.
A Block Law 12 - Today we're back in the class to continue our look at family law as a subject. Our focus for the day will be on support obligations. We'll look at: spousal support and self sufficiency; and the types of child guardianship, access, and child support and we'll look at the Federal Child Support Guidelines (schedules/tables) and BC's Family Maintenance Enforcement Act.
B Block Introduction to Law 10 - We are in the library so that you may continue your work on the crime scene investigation project (Clue Us In). You'll have four blocks of time in the library this week to finish up this crime scene reconstruction activity (no more time after that). For more on Forensic Science, check out SFU's "So you want to be a Forensic Scientist" webpage or check out the "All you ever wanted to know about Forensic Science in Canada but didn't know who to ask" booklet compiled by Dr. Gail Anderson and posted by the Canadian Society of Forensic Science.
Please remember that I have books on crime scene investigation in the classroom. Use these resources to aid you in the development of your project. Remember you need to create a crime...replicate the crime scene...investigate the crime as if you were an R.C.M.P. officer...and prepare a dossier file to hand over to Crown Counsel so that they may prosecute the case. Look at yesterday's blog entry for more information. Good Luck.
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