Sexual Deviance, Violence, or Crime and Poverty - Term Paper Example

? Violence in America Violence in America The thought of acts of violence creates images of slaughtered foreigners in some far away hard to pronounce country or pictures of a battle between drug cartels in which a gang member is executed for violating a code of silence on the nightly news broadcasts. Violence is exertion of physical force so as to injure; injury by distortion, infringement, or profanation; intense, turbulent of furious often destructive action or force (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Each of the definitions describes a physical interaction between individuals or groups of individuals. Violence is not a new phenomenon in America but one that is and has been an intricate feature in the establishment and development of the county. Aggression, predatory acts of intentional infringement, or denial of the inalienable rights of others has historically been an imposing factor in the formation of the political and economic landscape of America. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the affects violence is having on the social structure of society in America and how violent movies, graphic computer games, and violent lyrics in music is fueling and perpetrating the spread of violence. Typical Causes and Conditions for the Use of Violence From the first acts of voicing the desires for freedom from English domination, violence was and has instrumentally been a common force in the fight for freedom. Acts of cruelty against mankind, womankind, and children alike were performed for the ideal of freedom. The underlying causes of violence are fear, oppression, suppression, hopelessness, and a sense of the inability to control one’s life (Brook, Brook, & Whiteman, 2007). Violence in America seemingly is escalating with the social structures of the police and law enforcement agencies unable to combat and contain the perpetrators of the lawlessness. The cause of this social phenomenon as described evolve from a vast spectrum of sociological and psychological factors, however in comparison to other industrialized nations the United States’ obsession or pre-occupation with violence far exceed the violent impact on the social structure of other societies. Joseph (2008) postulates that economics is the root cause of violence. He makes the comparison of the epidemic of violence in the United States to a war against human civilization. He asserts that war and violence are a natural part of human development (p. 1861). In considering the structional-function of the economic system in the United States violence is essential to secure resources necessary for life in which all human beings are entitled. Brook, Brook, and Whiteman (2007) in a longitudinal research study investigating the possible consequences of growing up in a violent environment stated, “Violence especially violent crimes against persons has profound and devastating effects on society with the capability of leading to destabilization of the economic structure and the consequences of loss of human and social capital” (pp. 82-83). The primary focus of their study was to chart the behavioral development of adolescent growing up in Columbia, South America however the findings from the study support the belief that violence can produce violence unless intervention and preventive antidotes are implemented to curtail the destructive tendencies from developing. Admittedly, the social conditions in United States are pale in comparison to those in Bogota, Columbia because of the political corruption and the drug cartels dominance in the South American nations; however it is not far reaching to visibly see how some of the same indicators of the study could apply to the social phenomenon occurring in America. Pondering the origins, preoccupation, influence, and the affects violence is having on the social structures in America causes one to wonder what in the America culture’s personality is allowing such a pandemic to fester and spill over into the society touching the lives of the very old, the innocent(children), whites, blacks, rich, and poor (Wearne, 2002). Violence in and of itself is non-discriminate and is oblivious to the institutional and social divides of society, its affects and impressing forces do not arbitrarily exclude members in society, but seeks only to fulfill its purpose. As poetic as words portray the social occurrence of violence or as glamorous as Hollywood filmmakers project the images of the destruction and aftermath of violence through the media, events and acts of violence continue to disrupt the social structure and demoralize the populace of society in general. A Sociological Perspective: Structural-Functionalism Talcott Parsons’ (1902-1979) a key figure in the development of the functionalist theory and ideology about society’s structure and how its institutions function continues to cause debate (Schafer, 2006, p. 14). His theory postulated four interconnected level within the structure of society: 1) general theory of social systems- primary, managerial, institutional, and societal levels; 2) political organization the bonding between institutional and social organization; 3) two-party political system in the United States as a means to distribute power; and 4) the voting process (Parson, 1953 as quoted in Boskoff, 1959, pp. 71-72). Whereas with the passage of time his theories about the structure of society and how the inter-connected parts function have evolved, his premise continue to have validity in analyzing society and how the individual parts functions in relationship to the whole. His analysis of the structure of society shows the distinct components and he suggested in his theories how the parts make-up and interact as a whole unit. Therefore structural- functionalism can be viewed from two perspectives 1) society as a whole with the ability to manage its internal parts or 2) society as a segmented and fragmented entity with each part independent as opposed to interdependent of the interconnected parts (Boskoff, 1959). In analyzing the affects of violence on American society the former view of society as a whole being affected by the social phenomenon would be appropriate. Violence affects each institution within the social structure and its affects transcend the boundaries of society’s anatomy altering and compromising the original purpose and function of the structure as a whole and the individual components. Wearne (2002) offered the comparison of Bernard Barber’s theories of social systems who suggested the integration of the different institutions within society are structured to function as a unified social system reflecting the personality of the distinct society (pp. 92-93). His theory reaffirms the former theories of the causal relationship between the different institutions within society and the influence each has on society as an entire unit. America: The Story of Us Historically, violence has been intricately woven into the fibers of the social structure of the American society. From its infancy the United States has a chronological history steeped in violence. In the historical documentary, “America: The Story of Us” depicts the founding of the country on war and violence, whereas the reasons for the violence were to gain freedom and independence from English domination, the underlying method or means of achieving freedom were through the use of excessive brutality and inhumane acts of cruelty (Goddard, 2009). The documentary is insightful in that the portrait painted of the struggles of the infant nation exhibited courage and bravery, however from a sociological perspective one could pose the question whether those early acts of crimes against humans were the roots of the exhibitions of the destructive behavior and cruelty being witnessed in society today. Beginning with the arrival of Europeans in the New World and the slaughter of the Native Americans, the Revolutionary War for Independence in 1776, the War of 1812, and each subsequent act of crimes against humanity further reinforced the belief and acceptance that acts of violence done for the betterment of the country or society at large was acceptable behavior. Demonstrated by later exploits such as the forcible enslavement of African people for economic enrichment, World Wars I and II, the bombing of the Japanese, the military occupations in Viet Nam, Kosovo, El Salvador, Chile, Iran, and Iraq each include acts of violence done for the sake or in the name of democracy (Goddard, 2009). However one has to wonder what the dynamics and consequences of such behavior of aggression and dominance has had on the social stratum of American society. Gang violence, domestic violence, racial violence, violent acts against those that may look, talks or have different beliefs or values all stem from a sense of not being in control of one’s life and reflect the historical behavior in the social environment. The Influence of the Media Some scholars and sociologists postulate that television, movies, videos, computer games, and the music industry are the instigators and catalyst for the promotion of the violence being seen in society. Whereas some research studies validate the claims that viewing violence causing violent behavior, other studies disprove those arguments. Determining if media violence increases violent behavior is important for political purposes and scientific research (Dahl & DellaVigna, 2009). From a political point of view policies and laws can be enacted to govern such exhibitions, from a scientific perspective verifying correlational links and causal relationships enables sociologists and researchers to develop measures to circumvent and prevent violence before its effects are exhibited in society (Dahl & DellaVigna, 2009). The findings from Dahl and DellaVigna’s (2009) research study found that viewing media violence increased aggression in the short term (p. 677). However they were unable to identify the long-term effects from viewing media violence or participating in violent interactive computer games (pp. 678-679). Even though the study did not find the links to subsequent violent behavior the study did motivate other disciplines to such as sociology, criminology, anthropology, economics, psychology, and pediatrics to investigate the possible consequences of viewing media violence. In a Mental Health Letter issued by Harvard’s Medical school regarding the effects of watching media violence the opinions were varied and opposing (p. 1). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) along with the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) supported the premise that exposure to violent media can contribute to violent behavior harming developing children in other ways not cited (p. 2). Their beliefs contend that in addition to violent behavior over time an emotional desensitization to violence occurs causing other anti-social symptoms to develop affecting school performance, disturbing sleep, and instigating bullying (Harvard Mental Health, 2010, pp. 2-3). Conclusion History confirms violence has had a constant presence in the development of American society. Witnessing the effects of violence in America is evidence that change is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of the institutional social structures within society. Whereas, research studies are inconclusive as to the affects of viewing violence and its effects on behavior the fact remains that the influence of violence is having devastating impact on the institutional structures of society as a whole. Theoretically, no single component within the institutional social and political structures within America’s society is exempt from the affects of violence. However, understanding some of the origins and causes of violence can enable sociologists and researchers in the social sciences and behavioral disciplines to find solutions and create preventive antidotes to reduce the emergence of violence and circumvent its destructive tendencies. References Boskoff, A. (1959). General sociological theory and political phenomena: Structural-functionalism at work. Alpha Kappa Delta, 29(1), 70-73. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Brook, J., Brook, D., & Whiteman, M. (2007). Growing up in a Violent Society: Longitudinal Predictors of Violence in Colombian Adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 40(1/2), 82-95. Doi: 10.1007/s10464-007-9126-z Dahl, G., & DellaVigna, S. (2009). Does movie violence increase violent crime? Quarterly Journal of Economics, 124(2), 677-734. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Goddard, J. L. (2009). America: The story of us. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us Joseph, P. (2008). War in human civilization. Social Forces, 86(4), 1861-1863. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu. Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary. (2011). Violence. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violence?show=0&t=1309957435 Parson, T. (1953). Working papers in the theory of action. Free Press, 140-151, 180-185. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Schafer, R. T. (2006). Sociology: A brief introduction, (6th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies Violent video games and young people. (2010). Harvard Mental Health Letter, 27(4), 1-3. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Wearne, B. C. (2002). Bernard Barber's social system theory. American Sociologist, 33(2), 86-104. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Read More