CRJU 2200 1st EditionExam # 2 Study Guide Macro-Level Explanations Alvarez & Bachman, rest of Chapter 3: “Why We Kill” (pp. 63-77) Anderson, “Code of the Street” (online reading) Messner & Rosenfeld, “A Society Organized for Crime” (online reading) Callahan, “Cheating in a Bottom-Line Economy” (online reading) Reading/discussion questions: 1. How would you summarize the main argument(s) in Anderson’s “Code of the Street” regarding the causes of violence among inner-city youth? Structural disadvantage, perceived lack of opportunity, the persistent threat of violence and related factors foster the development of the code. The code, in turn, fuels high levels of violence. Young people feel pressure to observe the code even if they don’t agree with it. (It operates at the level of neighborhood culture; it’s not just about individual beliefs or values.)2. What policy implications follow from the “Code of the Street”? If Anderson is correct, what could/should be done to reduce youth violence? Some possibilities for intervention would be for children traumatized by community violence exposure provide support for mental health counseling. It would also foster positive expectationsfor the future. Hospitalization would be used as a point of intervention for youth violence workers. These are all individual level approaches to the problem. A larger challenge is to address the community- level factors that promote violence.3. According to the authors of "A Society Organized for Crime", what is the "dark side" of the American Dream? How and why does it foster a high rate of violent crime?The dark side of the American Dream is a cardinal American virtue, ambition, promotes a cardinal American vice,”deviant behavior.” The cultural emphasis on achievement, which promotes productivity and innovation, also generates pressure to succeed at any cost. The glorification of individual competition, which fosters ambition and mobility, drives people apart and weakens the sense of community. Finally, the preoccupation with monetary rewards, which undergirds economic demand in a market economy, severely restricts the kinds of achievements to which people are motivated to aspire. 4. How would the authors of "A Society Organized for Crime" explain the behaviors described inthe second on-line reading, titled "Cheating in a Bottom-Line Economy"? In this second article, how do the cheaters view themselves? Are they likely to see themselves as greedy or criminal?How do you think they would explain their own behavior? Cheaters view themselves as being greedy rather than being considered an actual criminal even though what they are doing is in fact considered a crime. They would most likely explain their own behavior as being acceptable in a sense that they are doing these things because of monetary incentives that they believe they will gain after committing these criminal actions, They also do not receive harsh punishments for these crimes. Most of these criminals settle lawsuits by paying off the case and walking away with a slap on the wrist rather than jail time.Questions you should be able to answer following the class sessions: 5. What role do future expectations play in the etiology (development) of crime and delinquency? How do hard-core street offenders view their future lives? What can be done to change future expectations? Hard core street offenders view their lives as “in the moment.” There is a sense of futurelessness that encourages a focus on the here and now and disregard for future consequences. A here and now orientation in turn encourages negative attitudes and crime. Feb. 25, 27 Guns, Gangs, and Crime Alvarez & Bachman, Chapter 7: “Tools of Death: Firearms, Drugs, & Alcohol” Brezina & Wright, “Guns in the School Zone” (online reading) Walker, Chapter 10: “Control Gun Crimes” Reading/discussion questions: 6. According to Walker, where do offenders usually obtain their guns? What is their motivation for carrying firearms? Most of our attempts to control their behavior have failed, but why? (see Walker, Chapter 10). Most offenders obtain their guns through the black market. Their motivation to carry firearms is to protect themselves in a way that parents or even the police would not be able to provide protection. Most attempts to control gun behavior has failed because illegal purchases of guns are still occurring. 7. What are the specific limitations of gun bans and bullet bans? Likewise, what are the limitations of gun buy-back programs? Why don't they work as well as intended? (see Walker, Chapter 10). A federal ban would create a situation resembling the Prohibition in the 1920s, when tens of millions of people still drank alcohol after the ban had been implemented. A way to reduce the availability of handguns in the U.S is to outlaw their manufacture and importation.The limitationsof the buyback guns is that the demand for guns is so high that it is impossible to significantly reduce the number of any community. These programs or limitations did not work as plan because all of the illegal ways to obtains guns. There is no way to ban all transactions that are occurring. 8. To deal with the problem of youth gun violence, what approach do some criminologists recommend? (see "Guns in the School Zone"). Criminologists recommend a more proactive approach to youth gun violence, preventing gun usuage before a crime occurs rather than after something has happened. By implementing a plan before the violence occurs can stop the action altogether. Analyzing the threat assessment of a potential youth shooter can eliminate the chances of injuries as well as deaths. Questions you should be able to answer following the class sessions: 9. Does the widespread availability of firearms automatically lead to high crime rates? What dointernational comparisons suggest? How can we explain the patterns we observe here? The availability the firearms is not the only factor that contributes to high crime rates. They areresponsible for many crimes that are committed in the United States. Compared to the rest of the world, it is easy to obtain a firearm than anywhere else with a simple permit or through the black market.10. How prevalent are firearms in America? How have school shooters usually obtained their firearms? Firearms are very prevalent in America. It is not hard to obtain a firearm in the United States