The theory of Social construction was originally composed by sociologists Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann in their *Social Construction of Reality *(1966), to explain individuals formation of reality by socially created entities and socialization. They proposed that social perceptions of the world are collective in nature as individually interpreted and are composed with a social foundation of knowledge (Ibid; Fox et al., 2007; Serge, 2016; Vazquez-Figueroa, 1968). This “knowledge of society” consists of personal experiences, and interaction with peers, social groups and socially constructed institutions, such as the media (Berger & Luckmann, 1967; Serge, 2016; Surette, 2011). Individuals organize knowledge as either “experienced reality” events that one has personally been exposed to or “symbolic reality” events not personally experienced, but believed to have occurred (Ibid.). …show more content…
These two elements fabricate a “social construct” of what is perceived as “real” by individuals, formed by everyday life, socialization and the use of language and knowledge (Serge, 2016). Criminologists’ adaptation of social construction investigates the generation of “facts” regarding crime, crime control and the legal system with the media being a relevant source of social knowledge, as the majority of the public lacks experience with the judicial system (Hans & Dee, 1991; Pickett et al., 2014). The impact of media portrayals has become concerning as newly identified effects on viewers, such as the “CSI” effect, have emerged that have consequences on the jury system, the most expensive and essential part of the legal system (Ferguson,
Justice Quarterly: JQ, 15(3), 577-581. Retrieved October 6, 2017, from https://bethelu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.bethelu.idm.oclc.org/docview/228157991?accountid=56725 Saferstein, R. (2015). Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science (11th Ed.). Boston: Pearson. Retrieved October 6, 2017, from
Many criminals do this to leave a certain message to society. Often the media depicts a stance on the situation before the crime is put on jury already placing a reputation for the perpetrator. This stance the media places on the perpetrator leaves the press under the influence that the media portrayed for the perpetrator way before, during and after the trials. The media has works its
In the story “Harrison Bergeron,” citizens are kept away from their individuality by the government. The government limits their abilities by enforcing handicaps on them and always keeping an eye on them. People are stripped of what identifies them, causing them to be the same as everyone else. Examples of society versus individuals in the story “Harrison Bergeron” are the citizens and Harrison against the government. The government restricts individuals that possess “advantages,” so people want to be recognized for themselves.
The articles “Machine Bias” by Julia Angwin, et al. and “Should Prison Sentences Be Based on Crimes That Haven’t Been Committed Yet?” by Anna Maria Barry-Jester, et al. and the short story “The Minority Report” by Philip K. Dick share a common theme. Except that “The Minority Report” is a work of fiction, whereas “Machine Bias” and “Should Prison Sentences Be Based on Crimes That Haven’t Been Committed Yet?” are based on real life events.
The Escape What would you do if you were born into a collectivist society? The main character in “Harrison Bergeron “is Harrison Bergeron. Harrison was taken from his parents due to plotting to overthrow the government. In the short story “Harrison Bergeron” some people wear mental and physical handicaps that make everyone equally smart. Harrison escaped from jail at the age of 14.
Criminal bias has not changed since 1970’s in the article The News Influence on Criminal cases it states “81% of respondents said that they based their view of how bad the crime problem is on what they have read or seen in the news, rather than on their personal experience. In an American Bar Association poll asking respondents to identify "extremely or very important" sources of information on the criminal justice system, 41% of respondents identified television news, 37% identified primetime newsmagazines, and 36% identified local newspapers. Most people also trust the accuracy and fairness of the information received from these sources.” This quote from this article shows how most people receive their information online or through the media to form their own opinion on the events, criminal cases or everyday life. Most people don't study the facts and get reliable information, many people see the news on the TV, watch the coverage on the criminal case and believe everything they hear and see.
There is clear evidence of social control, and specifically who it targets. Revelation of this evidence could be crucial to this field as the disparities may prompt research into methods by which to reduce this kind of discrimination and targeting in the judicial system. The criminal justice system in the United States requires impartial magistrates to uphold the standards of the constitution and state statutes, and if judges continue to target certain groups for increased punishment, then trust in the system will surely diminish. In addition, discretion clearly influenced sentencing patterns ; therefore, one can logically infer that the criminal justice system is not one large entity, but a confederation of independent institutions that promote their own goals.
On October 6, 2000, the televised series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was released. The show was broadcast by CBS Television Distribution. With the airing of the show, the public began creating their own beliefs on the way forensic science is performed by legal professionals and how the cases are processed in court. Ever since the CSI series aired, multiple televised series have been aired such as Bones, Criminal minds, N.C.I.S, et al. These shows have begun to influence potential jurors into having certain expectations this is referred to as the CSI effect.
Coker gives great evidence that supports racial injustice in the criminal justice system. She discusses on the Supreme Court’s rulings and accusations of racial preference in the system. This article is helpful because it supports my thesis on race playing a role on the system of criminal justice. Hurwitz, J., & Peffley, M. (1997). Public perceptions of race and crime: The role of racial stereotypes.
To be fair, the purpose of most of the crime shows and films is not to convey information or strive for accuracy, but to be entertaining. If the underdog did not win or the victim did not get the happy ending, most viewers would be displeased. Crime is dramatized and romanticized in TV and film to keep the viewer intrigued and watching. One of the most overlooked flaws in crime shows is the logic.
Furthermore, there can be several factors at play when a wrongful conviction occurs and each case is unique. Three of the more common and detrimental factors that will be explored in this essay are eyewitness error, the use of jailhouse informants and professional and institutional misconduct. Firstly, eyewitness testimony can be a major contributor to a conviction and is an important factor in wrongful conviction (Campbell & Denov, 2016, p. 227). Witness recall and, frankly, the human emory are not as reliable as previously thought. In fact there has been much research showing the problems with eyewitness testimony such as suggestive police interviewing, unconscious transference, and malleability of confidence (Campbell & Denov, 2016, p.227).
Crime Scene Investigation has become very popular on television. In the article “The CSI Effect” by Richard Willing, the author talks about how much criminal investigation television shows effect people. He explains how they have affected the way jurors are selected because of the evidence people expect to see. People tend to expect more evidence, when convicting someone, because of what they watch on television. “Prosecutors also have complaints: They say the shows can make it more difficult for them to win convictions in the large majority of cases in which scientific evidence is irrelevant or absent”
Question 1: What question does this research attempt to answer? The investigative tool of offender profiling has been the subject of vigorous debate among investigative officials and academics for decades. Primarily, criticisms of the practice concern the lack of empirical evidence indicating the homology of crime scene actions and offender characteristics. However, the authors of this study, Goodwill, Lehmann, Beauregard and Andrei (2014), argue that this is attributable to a failure to analyse offender actions in the context of a dynamic decision making process.
Person perception is a term adopted from social psychology that refers to the cognitive procedures humans employ to arrive at inferences about who other people are (Cherry). Humans use cognitive shortcuts to quickly assess their surroundings, make attributions, and form impressions of people. One of the cognitive techniques used to make this assessment is social categorization. Categorization is an essential cognitive function as it assists in shaping perception by allowing individuals to bring organization and structure to our knowledge of the world around us (Bodenhausen, Kang, and Peery 318). The use of social categorization by the media and trial lawyers during a trial have a major impact on the societal perceptions and characterization of the victim(s) and the defendant(s).
Understanding the social world requires one to fully dedicate their time in observing various phenomena in different times, places and the circumstances that make the events to change. c. Socialization is the process that