Sociological Imagination
In Sociology values is defined as a broad
idea. My fire project targets the juvenile
justice system and how the system focuses on punishment rather than treatment.
The system values the idea of rehabilitation, conformity and citizenship. These
values are used to restructure delinquent behavior. For instance, according to
Jeffery Butts, Law enforcement agencies across the United States made slightly more than 60,000 violent crime arrests involving youth under age 18 in 2012 ( Butts, 2013). In order to decrease criminal and delinquent behavior the juvenile justice system places each of these values to help juveniles conform to societal rules and become civilian members of society. The juvenile justice system wants to improve juvenile by restraining their behavior and incarcerate them to conform to societal norms.
The juvenile justice system values are associated with deterrence, rehabilitation, and incarceration. These values are used for punishment, crime control and to restructure juvenile behavior. For instance, the juvenile justice system enforces norms, which are rules defining appropriate and inappropriate behavior. In the juvenile justice system norms can result to different types of behavior. For example, Juveniles have specific roles in the system they have to respect the rules and security guards, they have to commit to chorus and responsibilities, agree to discipline and self-control. The values represent the block that holds or supports the foundation. In this case, juveniles have to follow their norms if not they suffer consequences for showing inappropriate behavior in the system. In effort, juveniles try to conform to norms because they fear social disapproval or punishment from authority officials. These three norms associate with the juvenile justice system because juveniles can lose privileges, receive threats of longer sentence, be placed in solitary confinement or transfer to another facility.
These norms work against the values of the juvenile justice system because not all juveniles conform to the rules, whereas they become more deviant and have retribution towards the system and authority officials. In Sociology, sanctions are rewards and punishments to condition people to follow norms. In the juvenile justice system sanctions are used to reward or punish juveniles to follow their norms. There are two types of sanctions. For instance, high authority officials impose informal sanctions and formal sanctions to reinforce punishment or rewards. Informal sanction is associated with the juvenile justice system by using rewards or punishment to inform appropriate behavior. For instance, punishment is used to control and confine juveniles to value norms. A formal sanction applies to the juvenile justice system because judges and officers are assigned to take action on juvenile courts. The system imposes consequences for deviant behavior or rehabilitation for positive behavior. These sanctions reward or punish juveniles based on their behavior, if they have good behavior the reward would be deduction of sentence or parole without incarceration. If not, punishment would be intended such as solitary confinement or privileges taken. These sanctions can encourage or discourage juveniles to follow their norms and become civilian members of society.
The theoretical theory that best fits my fire project is the conflict perspective. This theory emphasizes conflict, change and constraints within a society. The conflict perspective plays a role in society and in this issue because there are disagreements among certain groups based on juvenile justice system. The people in “power” which is the system and government officials have the ability to control the system and juvenile consequences due to incarceration. The conflicting groups want to influence change. This connects to this issue because conflicting groups fight against the system that holds the responsibility and safety of their children because incarcerated youth are being abused and neglected by the system. Conflicting groups value the rehabilitation of youth, not hurting or harming them. Whereas, the system relies on punishment and consequences in order to make juveniles understand and conform to societal norms. This theoretical perspective applies to this issue because it shows the differentiation of groups and the group’s values have different perspective based on juvenile behavior and the consequences due to their behavior.
The juvenile justice system values are associated with deterrence, rehabilitation, and incarceration. These values are used for punishment, crime control and to restructure juvenile behavior. For instance, the juvenile justice system enforces norms, which are rules defining appropriate and inappropriate behavior. In the juvenile justice system norms can result to different types of behavior. For example, Juveniles have specific roles in the system they have to respect the rules and security guards, they have to commit to chorus and responsibilities, agree to discipline and self-control. The values represent the block that holds or supports the foundation. In this case, juveniles have to follow their norms if not they suffer consequences for showing inappropriate behavior in the system. In effort, juveniles try to conform to norms because they fear social disapproval or punishment from authority officials. These three norms associate with the juvenile justice system because juveniles can lose privileges, receive threats of longer sentence, be placed in solitary confinement or transfer to another facility.
These norms work against the values of the juvenile justice system because not all juveniles conform to the rules, whereas they become more deviant and have retribution towards the system and authority officials. In Sociology, sanctions are rewards and punishments to condition people to follow norms. In the juvenile justice system sanctions are used to reward or punish juveniles to follow their norms. There are two types of sanctions. For instance, high authority officials impose informal sanctions and formal sanctions to reinforce punishment or rewards. Informal sanction is associated with the juvenile justice system by using rewards or punishment to inform appropriate behavior. For instance, punishment is used to control and confine juveniles to value norms. A formal sanction applies to the juvenile justice system because judges and officers are assigned to take action on juvenile courts. The system imposes consequences for deviant behavior or rehabilitation for positive behavior. These sanctions reward or punish juveniles based on their behavior, if they have good behavior the reward would be deduction of sentence or parole without incarceration. If not, punishment would be intended such as solitary confinement or privileges taken. These sanctions can encourage or discourage juveniles to follow their norms and become civilian members of society.
The theoretical theory that best fits my fire project is the conflict perspective. This theory emphasizes conflict, change and constraints within a society. The conflict perspective plays a role in society and in this issue because there are disagreements among certain groups based on juvenile justice system. The people in “power” which is the system and government officials have the ability to control the system and juvenile consequences due to incarceration. The conflicting groups want to influence change. This connects to this issue because conflicting groups fight against the system that holds the responsibility and safety of their children because incarcerated youth are being abused and neglected by the system. Conflicting groups value the rehabilitation of youth, not hurting or harming them. Whereas, the system relies on punishment and consequences in order to make juveniles understand and conform to societal norms. This theoretical perspective applies to this issue because it shows the differentiation of groups and the group’s values have different perspective based on juvenile behavior and the consequences due to their behavior.