`` Thinking About Crime `` - 1239 Words

Crime has always been, and always will be a factor in society. It has existed since ancient times. The first recorded laws were â€Å"Hammurabi’s Laws†. A set of rules engraved in a large pillar in the middle of the Sumerian city-state of Babylon. Back then the punishments were simple. If you stole something, then your hand was cut off. In the modern day our laws are not so simple. Now a days something minor like theft, or minor drug possession could land you a harsher sentence than embezzling millions of dollars. Today the laws are dictated by a scared people and a justice system that doesn’t do its job. The punishments for crimes often do not fit the crime committed. More often than not one’s social status can directly impact the sentence one would receive. Michael Tonry in his book â€Å"Thinking About Crime† brings up the subject of moral panics (pg 86). A moral panic as defined by Stuart Hall is as follows â€Å"When the official reaction to a person, group of persons or series of events is out of all proportions to the actual threat offered, when â€Å"experts† perceive the threat in all but identical terms, and appear to talk â€Å"with one voice† of rates, diagnoses, prognoses, and solutions, when the media representations universally stress â€Å"sudden and dramatic† increases (in numbers involved or events) and â€Å"novelty†, above and beyond which a sober, realistic appraisal could sustain.† (page 86) Moral Panics are what often leads the American government to overreact to incidents. MoralShow MoreRelatedEssay about Burglary and the Rational Choice Theory948 Words   |  4 PagesThere are numerous theories as to why a crime is committed. Rational choice theory, which is a subset of classical theory, says that before people commit a crime they think about what they are going to do. 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The Sociological Imagination does not attempt to understand the individual and his or her problems alone, but focuses on issues and problems as it affects the greater society. In society, many factors called social structures, influences our behaviour, thinking patterns, reasoning and our logical approach too many challenges. AccordingRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Classical School Of Criminology791 Words   |  4 Pageschooses to break the law upon a desirable choice. The Classical emphasizes how the system was organized, punishments for crime, and how authorities should react to crime. On the other hand, positivist school was created to see what influences an individual to break the laws, based on human beings’ behavior. Positivist school is simply trying to analyze who, what, and how crime is initiated. This study will identify the schools’ argument, and if they complement each other, the advantages and disadvantages