Blog #2 Soc 411- Nature vs Nurture Theory Pertaining to Criminology

Nature vs Nurture Theory Pertaining to Criminology

                Something that I have always wondered was if someone is born into who they are or if their environment determines who they will become. Was Hitler born to be a murderous tyrant? Was Mother Theresa born a selfless pacifist caring for others? One of the most interesting theories to me in Criminology is Nature Theory and Nurture Theory.

                Nature Theory focuses on whether crime is genetic.  In the sense of IQ; our textbook explains that genetics predetermine intelligence. The argument is that those with lower IQ’s (intelligence) are more likely to commit crime (Siegel, 2017:144-145).  Another argument is specifically in expression of gene traits.  Epigenetics is a new field and the implications of epigenetics are astounding.  Kaiser and Rasminsky have studied some of these traits they say, “Some genes are expressed or turned on (or not) because of physical, social, and cultural factors in the environment; and some genes—for example, those that influence difficult temperament, impulsivity, novelty seeking, and lack of empathy—predispose people to be exposed to environmental risks.” (Kaiser & Rasminsky, 2010).  Although this does not explain those who overcome these predispositions.

                Nurture Theory on the other hand argues that a person’s environment will mold them into the person they will become. This is called their environmental stimulation. The environmental stimulation can come from several sources; some of the most prominent sources are: parents, relatives, schools, and peer groups (Siegel, 2017: 144-145).   These stimulants are argued to be what molds a person either into a law-abiding citizen or a criminal.  Nurture would argue that if a child has a secure environment (emotionally and physically) and secure institution then they are less likely to commit crime. Unfortunately, this doesn’t account for crimes committed by those with these individuals.

                The two theories are not perfect though. Studies show that people from a lower socioeconomic background will score lower on intelligence tests. It is not an example of their ability but an example of the focus of their environment (Siegel, 2017:145).  In the book, Crime and Human Nature, the authors sight many reasons why people commit crimes and explain some of the commonality that criminals have. One thing all criminals have in common is that they commit the crime. But although there are traits that happen occasionally between some but not others, they argue it does not make it fact (Wilson and Herrnstein, 1999:19).  They emphasize the relationship between nature and nurture and argue that it is mixture of both that helps to mold a person.  One example used is of young urban children coming from broken homes. They explain that the majority of those coming from broken homes do not become criminal offenders (Wilson and Herrnstein, 1999:22).  They also explain that in the study of class and race there is only a slight relationship between crime rates and social class (Wilson and Herrnstein, 1999:27).

                In the end studies are pointing to a mixture of both nature and nurture are more likely what molds our behavior. 

Blog #1 Criminology - Institutional Bias and Racial Profiling

Institutional Bias and Racial Profiling

  Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4th of 1968 (A&E Network, 2017).  He was the leader of a movement that began because a black woman refused to give up her seat to a white man. This stand taken by Rosa Parks made her a catalyst that initiated a movement that Dr. King later lead a nation to bring around social justice and change (A&E Network, 2017). Today, racism and prejudice still plague our nation.  One of the problems that has been in the media nearly every day is racial profiling. Our textbook describes racial profiling as; the practice of stopping and searching African Americans without probable cause and/or suspicion (Siegal, 2017:47). Due to our nation’s history, there is an institutional bias. Institutional bias is defined as, procedures rules and norms lending a positive or negative bias to certain social groups (Oxford, 2017).

The video above shows a segment from the news station The Young Turks. In that segment the news anchors talk about Chris Rock’s post on “Driving While Black”.  Chris Rock has been cataloging the times he is pulled over. At one point, they begin to talk about how Black people have to have a certain kind of car to not get pulled over and make sure they put certain details on their car: such as putting a sign on the car showing that the person is educated. The anchor suggested to his cousin to put a USD Alumni placard around his license plate. In the other video above a compilation is shown of Black’s being pulled over for no reason or scapegoat reasons. 

Per Gallup only an estimated 12.5% of the United States Population is Black (Gallup, 2001). 1 in every 15 African American men are in prison. In contrast 1 in every 106 whites are incarcerated (Gallup, 2001). 35% of jail inmates are black. 37% of prison inmates are Black (US Department of Justice, 2014).  People of color are more likely to serve jail time and receive harsher sentencing than whites. Some of these statistics are not recent but they are the most recent.

 The numbers are only climbing. As of 2010, Non-Hispanic Black males from the ages of  18-29 made up 37.2% of the young adult prison population (Child Trends Data Bank, 2012).  With the Black Lives Matter Movement came the Blue Lives Matter. The problem is not that “Blue Lives” don’t matter. It is that Blacks are being profiled and treated disproportionately to the dominant group population and the entire social group is paying the price of negative bias at an institutional level. 

Works Cited

                    Gallup, Inc. "Public Overestimates U.S. Black and Hispanic Populations." Gallup.com. N.p., 04 June 2001. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

                    "Institutional Bias - Oxford Reference." Institutional Bias - Oxford Reference. Oxford Dictionary, 17 Mar. 2017. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

                    "Martin Luther King, Jr. - Mini Biography." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 24 Feb. 2017. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

                    "Rosa Parks." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

                    Siegel, Larry J. Criminology: The Core. 6th ed. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2017. Print.

                    WEITZER, RONALD, and STEVEN A. TUCH. "PERCEPTIONS OF RACIAL PROFILING: RACE, CLASS, AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE." Criminology. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 07 Mar. 2006. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

                    Welch, Kelly. "Sign In: Registered Users." Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. Sage Publishing, 01 Aug. 2007. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

                     "Young Adults in Jail or Prison." Child Trends. Child Trends, 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

Blog Post #2- Social Inequality

Clog Submission #2 – Social Inequality

Prejudice and Racism are still very much alive in our society, as you may have read in my last post.  How is it being dealt with? What are the Social Theories for ridding ourselves of racism? One of them is Contact Theory.  Contact Theory in short is self-explanatory.  The more often that you meet people of different backgrounds (gender, race, ethnicity, ideology) then the more your prejudice and misunderstandings will be broken down (Healey, 2015:86-87).   I live in Southern California; a person would be hard pressed to not meet people from all different origins.  However, I grew up in a small town in New Mexico.  My city was called Edgewood and at that time the only races in Edgewood were white and Mexican.  The only religion I knew people having were Christian or Catholic. It is interesting to think about the juxtaposition.  I have a vivid memory of the first time I met someone who was black and the events that happened are probably why I remember it so well.

My mother’s friend came over to visit. She had just adopted a young girl my age. My mother’s friend had come over to talk with my mom about the problems they were having. My mom is Mexican and my father is German, that was not common in Edgewood (although at the time I had not realized it yet).  My mother’s friend came to talk to her about what people were saying about their new adopted child (she was black and the adoptive parents were white).  Apparently, the community was gossiping and giving their two cents on it. Well me and their daughter were playing quietly and examining each other’s hands, when out of nowhere my mother yelled at me, “It does not matter what color you are, you’re both the same.” I looked up stunned and said, “We were comparing our lines.”  We were just playing and getting to know each other.  That same women (my mother) has taught me throughout my life that prejudice is just fear of the unknown and that is exactly what she told her friend.  This is also why I think I identify with contact theory so much.

So back to the idea of living in a culturally diverse place. According to the study Cross-Group Friendships and Intergroup Attitudes, the closer connections we make with people of all backgrounds the more positive of an impact it has on eliminating prejudices (Davies, Tropp, Pettigrew, and Wright, 2011).  In the video above, the importance of removing that fear and mistrust of others is so important. When we have an “US” versus “Them” attitude these extreme situations happen. Like the example of James Byrd. The study shows that these heinous crimes are less likely to happen when people have contact and are effectively humanizing each other.

Get to know others is the point. Diversity is a strength not a weakness. When someone is different, it does not mean you are threatened. A person can still be themselves while accepting the differences in others.

Sources Cited

Aron, A., Aron, E. N., Tudor, M., & Nelson, G. (1991). Close relationships as including other in the self. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 60(2), 241-253. 

Aron, A., Norman, C. C., & Aron, E. N. (1998). The self-expansion model and motivation. Representative Research In Social Psychology, 22, 1-13. 

Davies, K., Tropp, L. R., Aron, A., Pettigrew, T. F., & Wright, S. C. (2011). Cross-group friendships and intergroup attitudes: A meta-analytic review. Personality And Social Psychology Review, 15(4), 332-351. 

Healey, Joseph F., and Eileen O'Brien. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class: The Sociology of Group Conflict and Change. 7TH ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 2015. Print.