Crime as a Social Construct
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For this discussion, answer the following:
- What does the idea of crime as a social construct mean to you?
- How do the authors argue that this definition is initially constructed in such a way that some groups are able to avoid the stigma of negative social behavior within the context of crime?
- How do patterns of discrimination filter upward in the criminal justice system, even if sentencing is objectively determined (that is, the judge has no discretion; sentencing is predetermined based on objective characteristics such as type of crime, number of previous convictions, severity of the crime)?
- Should some time worn ideas, such as bail or public defenders, be reconsidered after considering Reiman’s comments on this element of the legal system?
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