Sociology Student

@greengrass67
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A student enrolled in SO 345 -- Deviance & Social Control
What does the total prison population matter? HYPOTHETICALLY (!) if everyone who is in prison is guilty of the crime they are serving time for, what does that number matter? It is my opinion that, if people commit a serious enough act that is punishable by prison time, they should be in prison. I think we should be more concerned with the number of people who are wrongfully incarcerated, but that statistic however will never be available due to the nature of wrongful convictions. #so345
In my opinion, nearly everything in our world today has become political, down to what coffee shop you go to...and until watching this documentary, I blamed the 2016 election cycle for the politicalization of everything. However, 13th showed me that politics have been intertwined with our daily lives for decades now. I do also think it's interesting the difference in bipartistian between then and now. Reps and Dems used to be able to peacefully coexist and seldom do you see that today. #so345
13th did a great job of accurately summarizing the long and complicated history of incarceration in the US and its connection to slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. The CJ system has come a long way over the years but it is still quite flawed; minorities are still disproportionately treated in the courtroom and in prisons and it is projects like 13th that highlight these injustices and serve as the first step to correcting them. #so345
Honestly, I find it fascinating how some groups of people have "studied" cops' behavior so much that they expect it and know how to orient their behavior and actions as such. Whether or not each individual police is aware of these people, I think it's cool (?) that these individuals have become so observant of a lifestyle that is so drastically different from their own. #so345
I applaud Stuart for recognizing the collateral consequences of criminal justice system involvement. They are often left unnoticed and undiscussed, but are arguably the most damaging to the accused and his family. Considering these effects demonstrates the lasting effects that certain types of policing has on individuals, potentially shaping their future identity. #so345
I'd be interested to see how those who strongly oppose the use of police force would act in the identical situation. If you are against self-defense, protection via firearm, etc. what would you do to defend yourself, keep the surrounding persons safe, and restore moral order if you don't believe in force? Not everything can be solved with a therapeutic conversation... #so345
In my opinion, the 'combat high' excuse for using force is generally valid. Trained police officers (as opposed to the public) are the only ones to experience the intense scenes they do day-to-day, so of course they know more and have the ability to do more than what the average person would do. You still must consider those who take advantage of their position, but we've made the police profession a necessary part of society and we should allow them to exercise associated duties. #so345
I did not know that police officers had the ability to file 'charges of cowardice' against one another. Officers should certainly be able to report co-workers who are objectively not doing their job--that's a different story. But cowardliness seems like such a subjective concept and I presume it to be difficult to argue on both sides. I also assume that, due to stereotypes, there is a gender discrepancy is measures of cowardliness. #so345
Appropriate use of police force is defined legally, which is what is taught in the academy. I am more interested in the social definitions of police force--what is used in practice on the streets--and I am wondering how and why these definitions have changed within the last 7-8 years as a result of all the anti-police movements. Does a restructuring of the social definition actually produce meaningful change? #so345
As a gen z, it is difficult for me to think about how stereotypes were disseminated throughout society in the pre-social media and pre-internet years. Obviously people talk and word spreads verbally, but the creation of a society-wide stereotype (of a type of person, group, etc.) seems impossible if it is spread via only word-of-mouth. #so345