Criminalization in the Opinion of Critical Criminologists - Essay Example

?Word count 1304 Order # 537938 d 21st May Criminology Part Essay on ’Marginalization and criminalization in the opinion of critical criminologists” The marginalization and criminalization are inter related as the former may result in the latter in some cases. The marginalization means the social process of making some specific group of people marginal from participating in any social activity or organization etc. According to critical criminologists, marginalization implies about the process of getting discriminated on some ground compared to other sections of the society. The critical criminologists believe that the marginalization and criminalization are highly integrated with each other. This may affect the mental state of the individuals under marginalization and some of them may indulge in any criminal activities. The marginalization may occur at individual level or at group or community level. The people with physical or mental disabilities are subjected to marginalization at individual level. This is against the basic principles of human rights and several nations have made their legislature to reduce or avoid this practice. The employers or organizations may consider the inclusion of disabled people as a stumbling block to the productivity. In this process, they indulge in marginalization which is unfair. Moreover, the companies must work with principle of equality and corporate social responsibility. Therefore, marginalization must be eradicated by the employers. The marginalization may also be found in community or group level in the form of women and aboriginal groups. When the people are subjected to colonialism, they will have to leave their place of residence and will be settling in new areas and during this process, they are marginalized to participate in any social functioning. Similarly, the women are subjected to marginalization as far as the employment in some organizations is concerned. Criminalization means a process of imposing a criminal penalty for the illegal act committed by any person. According to critical criminologists, it is a social process in which individual may undergo a transformation of their behavior to crime or violent act (Mc Laughlin et al., 2002). The origin of criminal behavior may be in the form of discrimination or victimization (Walklate, 1989). Criminalization may disrupt the social order, and hence the society requires legal order that controls the crime rate. Some times, the criminalization may be originated from lack of health safety measures due to which other persons in the society get potential harm. For example, the defendant was sentenced to two year imprisonment under criminal law for being responsible for the transmission of Hepatitis B in UK (Mohanty, 2009). As mentioned earlier, critical criminologists argue that the criminalization may be originated due to distorted mental behavior when a person is subjected to marginalization in the society and having historical link with criminalization may be considered as a cause for marginalization (Walklate, 2003). Hence the criminalization and marginalization are correlated with each other. For example, the criminal history of the Black youth, the black cultural spaces were excluded from new playgrounds of the night time economy in UK (Talbot and Bose, 2007). Hence, in the control of crime rate in the society, the steps for reducing the marginalization would be of immense help. The thorough analysis of causes or factors of victimology would certainly help in reducing the menace of criminalization in the society (Fattah, 1992). References Fattah, EA. 1992, The Need for a Critical Victimology, In Towards A Critical Victimology. Ezzat A. Fattah (ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan Publication, pp. 14–23. ISBN : 0-312-07551-0. Mc Laughlin, E., Muncie, J & Hughes, G. 2002, Criminological Perspectives: Essential Readings (Published in association with The Open University), Sage Publication, pp: 612, ISBN-10: 0761941444. Mohanty, K. 2009, “The first case of criminalization of transmission of hepatitis B in the UK: defendant sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on the grounds of hepatitis B deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing.” International Journal of STD & AIDS, 20 (8):587-589. Talbot, D and Bose, M 2007, “Racism, criminalization and the development of night-time economies: Two case studies in London and Manchester”, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 30(1), pp. 95–118. Walklate, S. 1989, Victimology: The Victim and the Criminal Justice Process. London: Routledge Publication, ISBN: 0-04-445160-1. Walklate, S 2003, Understanding Criminology: Current Theoretical Debates (Crime & Justice), Open University Press; 2 edition, pp : 192, ISBN-10: 0335209513. Part 2: Essay on “Working class youth delinquency as source of resistance and rebellion against Control” The delinquency means the predatory act of some groups of people due to deviated behavior. This may happen in the working class youth due to their failure in attaining their employment goals. The Birmingham school scholars portrayed working class youth delinquency as sites of resistance and rebellion against control. Discuss this in the essay and you need to examine the analysis offered by the Birmingham school scholars of working class youth delinquency. This will require you to demonstrate an understanding of the significance of resistance and rebellion. The Birmingham School Scholars portrayed that the working class youth delinquency may lead to resistance and rebellion against the management or control (Lave et al., 1992). Cohen (1958) explained about the delinquency subculture mainly emphasizing on working class youth in slum areas. This was found to be origin for resistance and rebellion against the administrative control of any organization. He mentioned that the delinquency is a collective response to the structural changes in any organization and hence it leads to resistance from majority members. Moreover, it was opined that the distinctive culture was developed as a response to their perceived lack of economic and social opportunity within the society. The delinquency sub culture of working class youth results in rebellion against the management due to its anti utilitarian nature i.e. committing an act of resistance and braking of laws. The deviance in the mental behavior of people originates because individuals are highly attached to the values and norms of specific groups which have a code of behavior of their own. In addition, the reason for rebellion and resistance nature among the working class youth is due to the element of stress or strain caused by frustration in job. According to Merton's theory, the working class youth may indulge in crime inorder to achieve success and the main factor for this is nothing but the unequal access to opportunity (Merton, 1938). The main reason for delinquency among the working class youth is due to having poor access to basic amenities by lower class and due to low educational levels resulting in poor occupation which motivates them to commit crimes over a period of time (Miller, 1958). The cause for low educational level among some sections of people is in the form of cultural deprivation. The youth would refuse the success goals of main stream society and would search for alternate set of values against which success is measured. Moreover, the delinquency makes the youth to derive pleasure from the inconvenience of others and they motivate themselves for making representation or rebellion collectively against the decision of the top management (Kitsuse and Dietrick, 1959). Overall, by thorough understanding of the factors affecting the Delinquency of the working class youth, the crime rate can be controlled significantly. This can be achieved by providing uniform access to working class youth in terms of their employment and social class prospects. References Cohen, AK & Short, J, 1958, "Research in Delinquent Subcultures", Journal of Social Issues, pp:20–37. Kitsuse, JI., & Dietrick, DC. 1959, “Delinquent Boys: A Critique”. American Sociological Review, 24(2), pp: 208-215. Lave, J., Duguid, P., Fernandez, N. & Axel, E. 1992, “Coming of age in Birminghom, Cultural studies and conceptions of subjectivity”, Annual Review of Anthropology, 21 : pp:257-282. Merton, R., 1938, “Social structure and anomie”, American Sociological Review, 3, pp:672-682. Miller, W. 1958, "Lower-Class Culture as a Generating Milieu of Gang Delinquency." Journal of Social Issues,14, pp: 5-19. Thrasher, FM. 1933, “Juvenile Delinquency and Crime Prevention”. Journal of Educational Sociology 6 (8), pp: 500–509. Read More