Section B
You have just been appointed as a presidential adviser on urban problems. The president informs you that he wants to initiate a demonstration project in a major city aimed at showing that government can do something to reduce poverty, crime, and drug abuse. The area he has chosen for development is a large inner-city neighborhood with more than one hundred thousand residents. It suffers from disorganized community structure, poverty, and hopelessness. Predatory delinquent gangs run free and terrorize local merchants and citizens. The school system has failed to provide opportunities and educational experiences sufficient to dampen enthusiasm for gang recruitments. Store, homes, and public buildings are deteriorated and decayed. Commercial enterprise has fled the area, and civil servants are reluctant to enter the neighborhood. There is an uneasy truce between the varied ethnic and racial groups that populate the area. Residents feel that little can be done to bring the neighborhood back to life. You are faced with suggesting an urban redevelopment program that can revitalize the area and eventually bring down the crime rate. You can bring any element of the public and private sector to bear on this rather overwhelming problem–including the military! You can also ask private industry to help in the struggle, promising them tax breaks for their participation.
Questions
In what ways might a weak or broken social bond also be the result of a “flawed individual” or “flawed society?” Assignments 3 Sociological Views of DelinquencyAssignment Three8 PointsPost your responses to the Assignments Link.Go to the following website and read the article found thereArticle on Saints & the RoughnecksQuestionsExplain labeling or social reaction theory. How does it relate to self-fulfilling prophecy?How does this article exemplify both labeling and self fulfilling-prophecy? Give specific examples.How did your high school experiences compare with this? Analyze a situation where you or someone you know has been negatively or positively labeled. Did the label make a difference to them in how they saw themselves and acted? Did it result in self-fulfilling prophecy?Do you think it is possible to overcome labels? What are some methods a person could use to counteract labels? Assignment Four6 PointsPost your responses to the Assignments Link.QuestionsExplain social conflict or critical theory.What do they see as the cause of delinquency?What does your text suggest as prevention programs using Critical Theory?Are you aware of any instances in which people who are the “haves” (economically) seem to be better served by the law and law enforcement than those who are not? Give two specific examples. Should this be changed? How would you deal with this?