Crime and Poverty is a Social Problem
Polls show that Americans regard crime as the number one social problem facing the nation. We fear being a victim of violent crime, or having our property violated, is far more than we fear being unemployed or suffering a loss of income. The career criminal according to James Q. Wilson, was long ago identified as: "typically an impulsive young man who grew up in a discordant family where one or both parents had a criminal record, discipline was erratic, and the human relations were cold and unpredictable. He had a low IQ and poor verbal skills. His behavioral problems appeared early, often by age eight, and included dishonesty and aggressiveness. Even in kindergarten or first grade he was disruptive, defiant, and badly behaved. He had few friends, and was not emotionally close to those associates with whom he began stealing and assaulting."The crime rate is increasingly concentrated in the inner city. You are actually less likely to be assaulted, raped, robbed, or burglarized today than you were in 1980, unless you are a minority resident in an inner-city neighborhood. For the middle white class, all crime rates except auto theft are down. The fear of crime is universal even if the actuality is local. For minorities ra
I believe that both views have their good points and bad points, but I agree more with the functionalist view. Functionalists want practical solutions to practical problems and are usually committed to scientific engineering as a basis for change with an emphasis on gradualism, order, and the maintenance of equilibrium. The failure of these structures cause people to become frustrated and confused when they have been shown all their lives to desire things of material well being and social prestige and they cannot achieve this. However, early intervention with at risk children can prevent them from becoming criminals. Poverty is also caused by a refusal on the part of individuals to take responsibility for their own economic well being. Illegitimacy causes poverty because children born into single-parent households are more likely to become unwed parents and develop a dependence on government welfare. By having laws set in place it is more understood by everyone what is right and what is wrong. Functionalism provides an essentially balanced explanation about technology and education. Just like if you are hungry the only way you can stop being hungry is eating. The functionalist view is that they focus on social order based on understood agreements. The functionalist view on these issues is that the social structures are unable to do what they are put forth to do. The federal government should seek to reduce illegitimacy through welfare reform. They also believe that these are a product of abnormal subcultures and the culture creates opportunities for crime to happen. Studies show that most homeless people suffer from mental problems or drug and alcohol addictions and that many engage in criminal behavior.
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