SOC 100 - Sociology of Education Assignment

This was a fun assignment. I used Powerpoint 2010 and then converted the PP to a video file. The first wmv video I made was too big so I converted that one to mp4 which turned out great. I got a 45/45 on this and could have done a better job, but the initial video conversion took my poor laptop about 6 hours to make, so I didn't go back and fix my mistakes. I got a very good grade though. So here's the assignment: For your assignment select at least two countries not mentioned in the text or on the video and develop a slide presentation illustrating one of the three sociological perspectives mentioned in the text. In other words you would use the significant concepts (constructs) the perspective you choose and explain how these concepts and perspective could impact test scores. 

SOC 100 - Assignment on Deviance

Okay here's one assignment that I thought I did pretty well on, but the professor didn't think much of it. I received a 35/45 on this paper. The assignment is: How do the Functionalist explain the difference between “Street Crime” and “White Collar Crime?”  So from the text, the video lecture, and your internet research, how should society deal with white collar crime?I can't post the video and let me say that some of these are hard to watch. It's a video lecture and it basically a power point pres. So here it is:

Deterring White Collar Crime

How does the Functionalist explain the difference between “Street Crime” and “White Collar Crime?”  Functionalist stress that just as education and job opportunities are different for the social classes, so are the crimes that they commit. The lower social classes commit most of the street crime while the upper social classes commit the white collar crime (Henslin, 2011).  You have to have the opportunity to commit the crime. In other words, you have to be a doctor in order to commit the types of white collar crimes that a doctor can commit. In this paper I’ll try to write a good explanation on how our society should deal with the white collar criminal.

In our text there are many good cases presented that show how white collar criminals have gotten off almost completely free from any punishment.  Many individuals get off without spending one day in jail. Sears defrauded $100 million from victims and to avoid a criminal trial they pleaded guilty. Macy’s and Bloomingdales were committing similar crimes and to avoid criminal prosecution they settled out of court (Henslin, 2011). When companies commit these crimes I think all people directly involved need to serve time in prison, the company should be fined severely and restitution needs to be made to the victims. In addition, companies should be put on probation. I don’t believe that our government should reward criminal behavior with new lucrative contracts as in the case of Sioux Manufacturing in North Dakota. After Sioux Manufacturing was found guilty of cheating the government, they were given another contract to produce helmets (Henslin, 2011).

According to one web document Congress has passed laws to help prosecutors with white collar crime.  In the 1970’s and 80’s a wave of laws and statues known as the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) was originally associated with mafia-related organized crime, but was soon applied to white collar crime.  Also, in 2002 Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) to improve corporate governance -- the relationship and accountability between corporations and their stakeholders (McGrath). This was in light of Enron and other widely publicized scandals during that time period. I disagree that punishment has gone too far when judges try to make an example of these cases. They should be held to a higher standard and after spending time in prison I don’t think that these white collar criminals should be allowed to go back into business. Investment bankers convicted and sent to prison should not be allowed back into the banking industry. Tougher sanctions need to be imposed on these white collar criminals after they’re freed.  Life in jail isn’t the answer, but maybe lifelong consequences are.

Going back to the beginning, to commit a white-collar crime the person(s) need to have the opportunity. They’re in a position of power and have a fiduciary responsibility to many people. Because of the position they hold, they should be held to a higher standard. When they are convicted they need to be fined and punished severely. Heavy fines can be imposed on companies and the companies put on probation. A judge can impose additional sanctions, or conditions after these white collar criminals are released to prevent them from being put back into another position of power. Maybe lifelong consequences will deter them from committing white collar crimes in the first place.

References

Henslin, J. (2011). Essentials of sociology: a down-to-earth approach. (Ninth ed., p.                                   145-146). Pearson.

McGrath, J. (n.d.). How white collar crime works. Retrieved from                                                               http://money.howstuffworks.com/white-collar-crime6.htm