Sociology Death Penalty Essay Example for Free

Sociology Death Penalty Essay Capital punishment has been a tool of the American judicial system since the beginning of our history as an attempt to deter its citizens from committing acts of violence against others with an ambition for community safety. However, our system of law is too lagging and inconsistent for the prospect of death as punishment to be a deterrence which therefore calls for reform and restructure; perhaps adopting the old ways of countries far removed from Westernized thinking. Originally the sentence of capital punishment necessitated death by beheading however, along with the dilution of the name came weaker and more â€Å"humane† ways of executing prisoners and is now known as the death penalty. The death penalty sentence in America does not serve as a meaningful deterrence. [P]roponents of deterrence have argued that in order for legal sanctions to be effective deterrence to crime, they must be (1) severe, (2) administered with certainty, (3) administered swiftly (celerity), and (4) administered publicly. The presumed importance of celerity of punishment is illustrated by Beccaria: An immediate punishment is more useful; because the smaller the interval of time between the punishment and the crime, the stronger and more lasting will be the association of the two ideas of â€Å"crime† and punishment; so that they may be considered, one as the cause, and the other as the unavoidable and necessary effect . . . Delaying the punishment serves only to separate these two ideas, and thus affects the minds of the spectators rather as being a terrible sight than the necessary consequences of a crime, the horror of which should contribute to heighten the idea of punishment.† (cited in Bailey, 1980, p 1309 ). Many people in our country have not seen a live execution and what they have seen most often looks painless and is carried out often a couple of decades after the punishable crime leaving minimal lasting impressions. Public humiliation is a greater deterrence; public hangings and canings have a greater impact on crime rates. â€Å"Worldwide, fewer than half of all nations allow the death penalty . . . Internationally, attention has focused on those nations where executions are relatively common, such as China and Iran . . . In the United States . . . pressure to abolish capital punishment has grown, both at home and abroad.† (Schaeffer, 2009,p175-177) The penalty needs to be refor med not abolished. The eighth amendment bans cruel and unusual punishment suggesting that executions should be humane and not cause undue pain, however since the rights of the victim were taken with force and brutality the criminal-killers should not be afforded comfort and privacy in compliance with their sentence to death. I agree with what Singapores Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew said in a speech, The†¦traditional Asian value system . . . places the interests of the community over and above that of the individual†¦In criminal law legislation, our priority is the security and well being of law-abiding citizens rather than the rights of the criminal. . .(Tan, 2002) During a visit to Singapore, which practices public caning and sends prisoners to the gallows, I felt secure that no harm would befall me and I was never more afraid to J-walk. The guidelines for caning is spelled out very clearly; the number of lashes for each crime and humiliating public displays leaves no room for their society to act out of ignorance. The marks the caning leaves is a permanent reminder therefore, deterrent to breaking the law. Youths who have been convicted of violent crimes should be subject to the death penalty as well. Although â€Å"every country on earth has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the death penalty for juvenile offenders, with two exceptions: Somalia, which effectively has no government, and the US. Even China, one of the worlds most enthusiastic criminal-killers, recently banned juvenile executions.† (Beiser, 1999) However, crime punishment should not be imposed based on age if it is a crime that resulted out of deliberation. If an eleven year old was malicious enough to plot and commit murders of his parents or peers that same eleven year old should be punished as if he were 35. Perhaps if youths were exposed to the physical consequences of their actions the desire or idea to commit such crimes would yield deterrence. Americans and our criminal justice system would benefit from revisiting what is in the Nations best interest and resist pacifying those that insist perpetrators of violence be given the very rights to die peacefully which they violently stole from their victims. There will continue to be high crime rates as long as there is no deterrent; or certainty that swift, humiliating and painful justice will undoubtedly occur. Outline 1. Does the death penalty serve as a deterrent to crime? a. No because most people that commit the crimes which make them eligible for the death penalty probably act prior to thinking out consequences and those that do obviously do not believe they will be caught or held accountable. â€Å"[P]roponents of deterrence have argued that in order for legal sanctions to be effective deterrence to crime, they must be (1) severe, (2) administered with certainty, (3) administered swiftly (celerity), and (4) administered publicly. The presumed importance of celerity of punishment is illustrated by Beccaria: b. An immediate punishment is more useful; because the smaller the interval of time between the punishment and the crime, the stronger and more lasting will be the association of the two ideas of â€Å"crime† and punishment; so that they may be considered, one as the cause, and the other as the unavoidable and necessary effect Delaying the punishment serves only to separate these two ideas, and thus affects the minds of the spectators rather as being a terrible sight than the necessary consequences of a crime, the horror of which should contribute to heighten the idea of punishment.†(p. 1309) c.Our judicial system is not swift nor are the executions public. d. I believe that public humiliation serves as a more effective deterrence. e. As barbaric as it may seem, caning and public hangings have more of a direct impact on homicide and crime rates in general. 2. What are some other countries’ responses to the death penalty? a. Most countries have abandoned the idea of capital punishment b. Human rights have been adopted over societal well being 3. What is your position on the death penalty- should it be legal or should it be abolished? a. Reformed b. Needs to be in the public eye and seen as a certainty in order to have impact. c.Should be painful and something to be feared instead of looking like a peaceful sleep. d.The penalty needs to be reformed not abolished. The eighth amendment states that executions should be humane and not cause undue pain, however since the rights of the victim were taken with force and brutality the criminal-killers should not be afforded comfort and privacy in compliance with their sentence to death. 4.Should youths who have been convicted of violent crimes be subject to the death penalty? a. Yes- Although â€Å"every country on earth has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the death penalty for juvenile offenders, with two exceptions: Somalia, which effectively has no government, and the US. Even China, one of the worlds most enthusiastic criminal-killers, recently banned juvenile executions,† 5. Why or why not? a. dont feel that crime punishment should be imposed based on age if it is a crime that resulted out of deliberation. b.If an eleven year old was malicious enough to plot murders of his parents or peers that same eleven year old should be punished as if he were 35. c.Perhaps is youths were exposed to the physical consequences of their actions the desire or idea to commit such crimes would lessen. REFERENCE PAGE Bailey, W (1980). Social Forces, Vol. 58, No. 4 (Jun., 1980), pp. 1308-1333 Retrieved July 8, 2010 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2577328 Beiser, V. (1999). Wasted Youth Retrieved July 10, 2010 http://motherjones.com/politics/1999/12/wasted-youth Schaefer, R.T. (2009) Sociology: A brief introduction (8thed.) pp. 175-177 Tan, A (2002) Singapore Death Penalty Shrouded in Silence Retrieved July 9, 2010 fromhttp://www.singaporewindow.org/sw02/020412re.htm Reuters

Travelling Around the World Essay -- Literary Analysis, Jules Verne

In the nineteenth century, it seemed impossible to circumnavigate the world in only eighty days. That, however, was exactly what Phileas Fogg did in Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. This novel follows the journey of the eccentric Englishman, Phileas Fogg, after he bet he could race around the world in eighty days. Accompanied by his faithful servant, Passepartout, and a scheming detective, Fix, he encountered many challenges he had to overcome in order to return in time to win the bet. In Around the World in Eighty Days, Jules Verne demonstrated how increased industrialization made a profound impact in travel, technology, and business. In addition, Verne shows how industrialization contributed to an increase of nationalism and European imperialism. Industrialization was an important movement of the nineteenth century. Industrialization was the process of turning an agricultural society into an industrialized one, based on the manufacturing of goods and services. This meant new technological innovation and economical development. Industrialization was important because it led to the development of new technologies and inventions that vastly improved life, such as the steam engine. It also helped to grow businesses by letting them expand their networks and reach consumers in more distant areas. Industrialization also made an impact on Fogg’s journey. Phileas Fogg’s journey was made possible by the growing industrialization of the time. One example of industrialization was the extensive use of trains in the novel. During the nineteenth century, nations all over the world built rail lines. For example, when Phileas Fogg reached India, the change from old forms of transportation to new industrialized ... ...rned with learning of the natives’ cultures. Like many European governments, he only cares that his country has obtained the land, but does not care about the people in it. Ultimately, imperialism had an extended reach throughout the world in the nineteenth century. In Around the World in Eighty Days, Jules Verne demonstrated how increased industrialization made a profound impact in travel, technology, and business. In addition, Verne shows how industrialization contributed to an increase of nationalism and European imperialism. Verne’s novel shows how industrialization, nationalism, and imperialism affected individuals. It also demonstrates how these themes interacted with each other, and how they influenced each other. Ultimately, Around the World in Eighty Days exhibits the important movements in the nineteenth century and their significance in history.

Family in sociology Essay

The family is a very important social institution in our society because it helps to socialize its members to be important people in the society.   The people in the family are linked by either marriage or blood. Families can be categorized in various ways such as extended families and nuclear families. Extended families are large families whose members can be of same generation and who can be distantly or closely related .Nuclear families on the other hand, consist of the husband, wife and the children. Families rely on each other for support on basic things such as security and economic. Main body Sociological analysis is very important because then people will get to know the importance of families .With the recent times, people do not hold families with importance and hence the high number of divorces in our society due to emotional imbalance. Many families are breaking up and the people who get to suffer most are the children, in such cases it is very hard to administer the rules and norms. One of the main lessons learnt from the above article is that families are supposed to guide some of the very important issues such as planning for the future of their children and themselves too and this is largely guided by financial matters (Sullivan,  Ã‚  Ã‚   2010). The article made me see that communication is what holds the family together and only does this when done in the right way and clearly states on issues relating to inheritance. It helps in cases of step parents and children. Every member in the family is entitled to an opinion in the family. The article does not address the various roles that should be played by each member in the family especially that of children and it does not discuss to length factors that cause families to be dysfunctional apart form financial issues.   Conclusion The modern society is undergoing some changes and hence how we handle our families today determine the future families of our children. WORKS CITED Sullivan, Paul. Blended Families Face a Thicket of Financial and Emotional Issues. Estate Planning. New York Times. 2010. Print. Viewed on June 7th, 2010 at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/your-money/estate-planning/05wealth.html

Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay - 1207 Words

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has more relevance in today’s society than it did when it was written. With the recent societal trend that emphasizes lack of morals and material wealth over a meaningful existence, Fitzgerald’s message really hits home. Which is more important - money or love? Social status or being true to oneself? Fitzgerald uses metaphor and symbols to great effect in order to illustrate what can happen when the pursuit of happiness becomes warped (by American ideals) into the pursuit of money. One of the major symbols in the novel is the color green. Green represents the hopes and dreams of people striving to accomplish the American dream of wealth and glory.†¦show more content†¦The valley of ashes represents the byproduct of a nation obsessed with money. It is filled with the gray industrial ashes of the factories that helped to catapult dreamers to the top of the world. It also symbolizes the lower class. The people living in the towns nearby are described as gray and solemn. They are washed up because they were unable to accomplish their goals and fulfill the American dream. Wilson, for example, is described as someone with an ashen, dust veiled suit and pale hair. The ash heap is described as a place where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills. As those ashes pile up, they bury the hopes of people seeking the American dream. The towns of East and West Egg are also symbolic. The people of East Egg represent those who already have wealth from inheritance. The people of West Egg represent those people who have gained their wealth through hard work and business. Gatsby has lots of money but he will always be subtly incompatible with the affluent society of East Egg. East Egg also represents old money and the east coast, whereas West Egg represents new money and the west coast. Throughout the novel, characters openly rebuke the west. For example, early in the novel Nick says, Oh, Ill stay in the East, dont you worry. The weather is another symbol that is used primarily for the purpose of setting the general mood of the book. Moments of deathShow MoreRelated Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby - Symbolism and the Truth3878 Words   |  16 PagesSymbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby - Symbolism and the Truth That Lies Between      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Symbolism is a very important device in Fitzgeralds 1926 masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. Different objects, words or actions symbolize different character traits for each person depicted in his novel. Through symbolism, Fitzgerald manages to describe three completely different aspects of the human life. He conveys the glittery, magnificent life of the rich, the gray, ugly and desperate life of theRead More Symbols and Symbolism - Heat as a Symbol in The Great Gatsby1938 Words   |  8 PagesHeat as a Symbol in The Great Gatsby        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Symbolism plays an important role in any novel of literary merit. In his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald displays a superior use of symbols such as color, light, and heat. Fitzgerald’s superior use of heat as a symbol is the focus of this essay. â€Å"When F. Scott Fitzgerald turns on the heat in Gatsby, he amplifies a single detail into an element of function and emphasis that transforms neutral landscapes into oppressive prisms† (DysonRead MoreEssay Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby520 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby is filled with symbols and symbolism, which try to convey Fitzgeralds ideas to the reader. The symbols are uniquely involved in the plot of the story, which makes their implications more real. There are three major symbols that serve very important significance in the symbolism of the novel. They are the valley of the ashes, the reality that represents the corruption in the world, the green light of Daisys lap that Gatsby sees across the bayRead More Use of Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay1326 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism plays an important role in any novel of literary merit. In his novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbols to portray events, feelings, personalities and time periods. Throughout the narrative, Fitzgerald uses strong contrasting symbols such as West Egg and East Egg. His superior use of other predominant symbols such as color and light are also evident throughout the novel. The story begins as the narrator, Nick Carraway, describes his arrival to West Egg. One can immediatelyRead More Symbols, Symbolism, and Metaphor in The Great Gatsby Essay796 Words   |  4 Pages Metaphors and Symbolisms in The Great Gatsby nbsp; In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses many different metaphors and symbolisms to express his point.nbsp; In this essay the point that I wish to make is how Fitzgerald uses colors to develop image, feelings, and scenery depiction to let the reader feel the emotions and other aspects being portrayed in that particular part in the book.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Like every other essay one must address the major pointsRead More Use of Metaphor, Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay1307 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Metaphor and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚     Some novels have more of an impact in modern society than when they were originally written. This is especially true with Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Modern society can be termed corrupt, complete with tainted morals and an overemphasis on the acquisition of money and friends. Fitzgerald seeks the root of the problem and wants the reader to ponder whether he or she wants money and social status or fulfillment and truth. In his questRead More Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay867 Words   |  4 PagesGatsby Essay Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. For example, a dove is usually used to represent peace. In the novel The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald uses a lot of symbolism to connect the characters with each other or to other objects. Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism helps advance his thematic interest in his novel of The Great Gatsby. In the Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses various colors, objectsRead MoreUse of Symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby820 Words   |  4 PagesUse Of Symbolism In The Catcher In The Rye and The Great Gatsby There are many writers like James Joyce, Patrick Kananach and Thomas Moore who use symbolism to convey and support indirect meaning in their writings. J.D. Salinger and F. Scott Fitzgerald both use symbolism in similar ways. In both The Catcher In The Rye and The Great Gatsby, the authors used symbolism to convey emotions and reality. In The Catcher In The Rye, J.D. Salinger uses Holdens red hunting cap, the exhibitsRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1103 Words   |  5 Pages The Great Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, which was considered as one of the most perfect work relating to art forms in American novels after James. The publication of The Great Gatsby prompted T. S. Eliot to write, in a letter to Fitzgerald, It seems to me to be the first step that American fiction has taken since Henry James ....The reason why it is one of the greatest novels all over the world is not only because of its showing the cruel social reality in America during 1920s and theRead More Symbolism in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald1628 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolism in The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby is a classic American novel, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1927 about corruption, murder and life in the 1920’s. The true purpose for a writer to compose any piece of literature is to entertain the reader, and this writer does this to the best of his ability. In this well-crafted tale, Fitzgerald presents a fast moving, exciting story, and to any typical reader it can be enjoyed; however, if the reader takes the time