9:15 - 11:50 D Block Social and Environmental Science
12:30 - 3:05 A Block Criminology
D Block Social and Environmental Sciences - Today we (that would be you and Benton) are back in the learning commons/library to continue our work on palm oil. Remember, you need to look through the Guardian Interactive on Palm Oil and work through a handout (courtesy of Geographypods) that I gave you yesterday. To help:
A Block Criminology - Today we finish Colton Harris Moore. Remember you have a question to answer...Is Colton Harris-Moore an outlaw folk-hero or were his actions simply those of an amateur kid criminal? You will need to justify your position but when you do, seriously consider why it is that you think the way you do.
- Ask yourself "Did Colton create an outlaw folk hero status/image on his own or did the media fabricate his new found identity"?
- Ask yourself "Am I attracted to the Barefoot Bandit because he's rebellious and you as teenagers can identify with rebellion against parents, me, police, or authority in general"?
- Ask yourself "What would it be like to be one of the victims of Colton Harris-Moore? Was he some mythical 'Robin Hood' who only took from wealthy families or was that the story he or the media presented to you"?
- Ask yourself "did people become aware of Colton Harris-Moore because of the Internet? The internet sensationalized and glorified Moore through blogs, Facebook, a fan site and because the general public seemed either unaware or uninterested in Moore, the Internet became the means of his fame. So if there was no Internet would Colton Harris-Moore have been the Barefoot Bandit"?
- Consider from the documentary: plot structure; themes (realistic, fantastical, farcical, superficial, complex, sensitive); technique (camera work, lighting, special effects); editing (pacing, long or short sequences); sound (effects, silence, music); values (what values were embedded within the documentary); mass appeal (choice of characters, choice of content, choice of issues addressed)
There are three major branches of social structure theories that include social disorganization theory, strain theory, and cultural deviance theory.
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) but it is a great example of strain and anomie. 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.
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.
The narrator in the documentary indicated that the Crips came out of an area that had poor schools, housing and an unemployment rate three times the national rate. Also Raymond 'Dhanifu' Cook said that they were "like bandits coming from the poor sections (of LA) to the more affluent sections (of LA) to requisition their material to bring it back to the neighbourhood" and 'Crippin' meant "are you ready to rob, plunder, pillage"? This kind of fits within the Social Structure theories. There are three major arguments among Social Process Theories that focus on how people learn to commit crime (Social Learning), how society fails to control deviancy and criminality (Social Control), and the impact of criminal labels on individuals subsequent behavior (Social Reaction).
So, using an active media presence and critical eye, what does the documentary tell us about our perception of gangs and their impact on society?
No comments:
Post a Comment