Soc Inequality Blog #4- Green Collar Crime

Blog #4 Green Collar Crime

       We have one earth to live on.  We do not seem to take care of it or respect it.  Often you may hear about an oil spill or environmental accident that happens and think, "Someone should be held responsible for this."  Good news and bad news regarding that. Good news, someone does get held responsible. Bad news, the punishment is not nearly strong enough.  This type of crime is called a green collar crime. Green collar crime is any crime that is done against the environment. These crimes include things like: deforestation, air pollution, water pollution, dumping of hazardous waste, and species decline.  This is a crime that can be enforced across national borders on a global basis but is usually enforced by local federal governments. Mos often it is done by corporations and they are fined base don negligence when found guilty of their crimes.

      One such example is in Bophal India an explosion happened at Union Carbide.  It took 25 years but seven officials were sent to prison and the corporation was heavily fined. The video above outlines the crime and what green collar crime is.
     In the United States the federal law is responsible for green collar crime. The law uses an intricate system of laws and permits.  Companies must have permits to conduct certain businesses and to deal with certain materials. Although it is not always enforced strictly. In California however, state law regulates environmental crime and it is strictly enforced.
     One of the worst examples of green collar crime in the United States is the BP oil spill.  This spill happened on Tuesday April tenth in 2010.  This is the largest oil spill in U.S. history. 3.19 million barrels of oil spilled. The oil spill was precursor by an explosion on an oil-rig off the coast of Louisiana. This spill polluted the gulf and continued to leak for eighty-seven days and killed eleven people.  The oil spread to a point where there was a 22 mile long oil plume.  It is estimated that as much as twenty percent of the oil found its way to the seafloor damaging sea corals and the unseen ecosystems of the ocean floor. Today, researchers continue to work to understand the impact of this spill on the environment.  This effected the marine life and all surrounding inhabitants. BP and five states ended up settling for $18.5 billion in fines and restitution from the clean water act and various claims.  Although the full impact is still unknown and it can never be restored to the way it was before.  What can be most frustrating is that this fine is mostly tax deductible so, it allows them to write it off as well.

Works Cited

Brennan, Linda Crotta. The Gulf Oil Spill. Minneapolis, MN: ABDO Pub., 2013. Print.

"Environmental Crimes." History Learning Site. Learning History, n.d. Web. 15 May 2017.

Kennedy, Charles. "Most Of BP's $20.8 Billion Deepwater Horizon Fine Is Tax Deductible." OilPrice.com. N.p., 07 Oct. 2015. Web. 15 May 2017.

O'hear, Michael M. "Sentencing the Green Collar Offender." HeinOnline. HEIN Online, n.d. Web. 15 May 2017.

Soc 411 Blog #3 Rational Choice Theory

Soc 411 Blog #3 -Rational Choice Theory

 

           Have you ever read about a crime and thought to yourself, "Who would do that? Why would people do that?"  Well, chances are, you have. Your either in my Criminology class or came across this blog because your searching criminology information. I often wondered this before learning about Rational Choice Theory. I often thought about why people might choose to sell drugs, or break into someone's home.  This theory gives an explanation for that. This theory is based on the idea of people who commit crimes. The theory asserts that people make rational choices when committing crimes.
          One of the most important details of rational choice theory is that people will weigh possible pleasure against possible pain. Then they will make their decision for action. This is termed Hedonistic calculus. Like in the video with the burglar weighing out the possibility getting caught burglarizing a home. It is from the perspective of desire and preference (Wortley and Townsley, 2017:21).
      This theory is not without it's weakness though, as with any theory. Also as explained in the video one of the holes in this theory is that everyone is acting rationally. Crimes of passion or crimes without forethought may or may not be accounted for in this theory.  Although this can explain many different situations. So it limits itself to crimes that have hedonistic calculus present.
       Another example that is used with this theory is corporate or sometimes called "White Collar Crime".  An example of some of these crimes are: price-fixing, toxic dumping, and insider trading.  These crimes will better an individual and/or corporation.  Some may remember Martha Stewart was convicted of insider trading. This is the type of crime where a persons desires and preference out weigh the risk. One of the token details of this type of crime is that the person committing this type of crime is often not in a situation where it is for survival and the crime is committed due to desire of the reward outweighs the possible punishment of the crime (Clark, 2008:37-38). 

     For myself, this gave me some perspective on why some crimes may be committed. I thought of debt much like these crimes. Our society is known for being in great debt. Often it is done through the use of credit, which in fact is money being borrowed that a person doesn't have. I am reminded of times where I wanted the instant gratification of having something and wanting it so badly that I charged it to a card that I couldn't pay back. When the initial high of the purchase wore off I was stuck with the consequences of debt.  Or further back in my life in middle school, when I shoplifted. I wanted makeup and certain clothes so badly and I wanted to fit in.  So, when a new friend said we could shoplift and showed me how, I weighed the consequences and decided to do it. (I now regret it) So I ask you? Does this help you understand why someone may commit some types of crime?  Have you ever wanted something so bad, that you didn't care what had to be done? 
 
Amadae, S.M. "Rational Choice Theory." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 04 May 2017.

Clarke, Ronald V. Routine Activity and Rational Choice. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publ., 2008. Print.

Legal, Inc. US. "USLegal." Rational-Choice Theory [Criminology] Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc. US Legal, n.d. Web. 04 May 2017.

"The Rational Choice Theory of Criminology." Study.com. Study.com, n.d. Web. 04 May 2017.

Wortley, Richard, and Michael Townsley. Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017. Print.

 

Blog Post #4 - Social Inequality

The Glass Ceiling

       Alright, so now that you watched Comedy Centrals satire on the glass ceiling; How much truth was in it? Does this glass ceiling even exist?  Is it really a problem? What the heck is this "glass ceiling" anyway?  Well in short, the glass ceiling is a metaphor used for the struggles and disadvantages that women have in the work place.  Merriam- Webster defines it as, "an intangible barrier within a hierarchy that prevents women or minorities from obtaining upper-level positions.” 

       The glass ceiling is real. Women make 80% of what a man makes for the same work according to The Institute for Womens Policy Research.  But the Glass Ceiling itself is even worse. This is the disproportionate opportunity for women in the work place. According to The Institute for Womens Policy Research, 98,000 new jobs in March 2017 and 89,000 of those jobs went to men.  This made it that less than 10% of those jobs went to women (Institute for Womens Policy Research, 2017). Women are less likely to be promoted in the workplace and when they are promoted they are getting paid less (Hegewisch, Phil, Deitsch, and Murphy, 20017,70). Although according to the department of labor minorities as well as women are affected by the glass ceiling.  97% of senior managers of Fortune 1000 industrial and Fortune 500 companies are white, and 95-97% are male (Department of Labor, 1990).  Then when taking a look at Fortune 2000 industrial and service companies, just 5% of senior managers are women and virtually all are white (Depaartment of Labor, 1990). 

        According to one study, the ceilin is slowly being broken.  They conducted a survey of 1000 different female CEO's and senior management level employees. They found that there were multiple different reasons that these women felt the glass ceiling was in there way.  Through this study the researchers are working to help the women of today and tomorrow to break their respective glass ceilings (Ragins, Townsend, and Mattis, 2017).  

       I myself have been working to breakdown some of the struggles that I know women have faced. I was out looking for a job to give me a start in my career and upon the offer of a position at a previous work place. I sent in a counteroffer. Thus starting the negotiation process. I had never negotiated pay before. It was terrifying but I did it as I was taught in school and by male peers that I spoke with about it and although I did not get exactly what I asked for, I got more than I expected.  To put it into perspective. If I would have taken the initial offer, I would be getting paid nearly $6.00 less an hour and 1% less in sales commission.  That is huge!  So, I now see in a tangible way how important it is to negotiate and speak up. I plan on applying for a management position within six months, I made it very clear to my manager who hired me that I am looking to grow and develop as an employee and that I don't plan on sitting still. It felt great to be assertive and direct. It was received well as well. 

Sources Cited

      "Glass Ceiling." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

    Hegewisch, Ariane, M. Phil, Cynthia Deitch, and Evelyn Murphy. "Ending Sex and Race Discrimination in the Workplace: Legal Interventions That Push the Envelope." Institute for Women's Policy Research. IWPR, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

   "Job Growth Slows in March and Most Gains Go to Men: Unemployment Declined for Most Groups." Institute for Women's Policy Research. IWPR, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

      "Pay Equity & Discrimination." Institute for Women's Policy Research. IWPR, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

   Ragins, Belle Rose, and Bickley Townsend And. "Belle Rose Ragins." The Academy of Management Executive. Academy of Management, 01 Feb. 1998. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

    "Report of the Federal Courts Study Committee." Federal Sentencing Reporter 2.7, The Sentencing Commission and Its Critics (1990): 232-37. Department of Labor, 1990. Web.

Blog #3 Social Inequality

       The problem with Assimilation

           The United States is made up of many different races that have immigrated here through out our short history.  The "American" culture differs from person to person. Some how though the dominant belief is "white culture" when it comes to assimilation.  To assimilate is defined as, "to bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a group, nation, or the like;"  (Dictionary.com, n.d.) Which can cause an identity crisis. While a Harvard study found that the large majority is against the traditional meaning of assimilation (Alba, 1997).  

       So what is it that is happening if it is not assimilation? Well according to Greenman and Xie, assimilation is still relevant but it is not the same assimilation that many of us think of.  They explain that traditional assimilation focuses on differences from culture to culture. While more recent assimilation focuses on what different cultures have in common.  Much like multiculturalism; honoring all cultures as well as honoring the current culture of the place that someone is in.  Today's assimilation does not have to be a way to strip someone of their identity.  Multiculturalism and Assimilation being bonded together can create a  much more dynamic theory. This can allow for the complexity that is a human and celebrate the relationship between and the differences between.  Studies have long shown that diversity and immigration breeds innovation (Winter, 1999).  

       I can not speak for other countries but, I can speak in regards to my country and what it means to me. The United States has been regarded as the "Melting Pot" or "The land where dreams come true".  The United States is supposed to be a land of equality where everyone has a shot, if they work hard. Assimilation in the traditional sense tells an immigrant that they must leave behind what makes them, them. They must become the dominant culture.  I have found that my life became so much more fruitful when I opened myself up to the vast amount of cultures that we have in our country. Living in Southern California near the coast makes that much easier to do.  This country is made up of immigrants that come together to create a better tomorrow. As the statue of liberty says, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! " (Boston Fed, 2008). 

            

Citations

    Alba, Richard. "Rethinking Assimilation Theory for a New Era of Immigration." The International Migration Review 31.4, Special Issue: Immigrant Adaptation and Native-Born Responses in the Making of Americans (1997): 826-74. JSTOR. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

    "Assimilate." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017.

     Greenman, Emily, and Yu Xie. "Is Assimilation Theory Dead? The Effect of Assimilation on Adolescent Well-being." Is Assimilation Theory Dead? The Effect of Assimilation on Adolescent Well-being. Elsevier, Mar. 2008. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

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.