Sociological Perspectives

I will be applying the three major sociological perspectives, which include functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism to the experiences of Hispanic Americans. No ethnic group attracts more public attention than the Hispanic people do due to their large numbers, their residential clustering, and bilingual programs and signs associated with them making them a recognizable ethnic group. Hispanic people who live in poverty or the small number involved in gangs, drugs, or other criminal activity get more attention and generate negative stereotypes, but most of them live as members of the middle class.

After a careful study and a deeper research on an introduction to sociology, I have come to understand that no problem can be solved well enough if one does not have the sociological perspective which is defined as a way of looking at the world through a sociological lens. In fact, there is the need of the lens that will help one to view situations and have the eye to emerge through different views to solve that problem. This mirror has become a doorway that will help one to have a beginner’s mind to approach problems.

Growing up, almost every parent will tell you, “you can be anything you set your mind to!” or “the possibilities are endless”. But from an early childhood my parents were creating an opportunity structure for my life. Through my 20 years, how I was taught, the places I went to, the people I interacted with and the implications of society and societal norms followed me. As with many other families, my parents focused on setting me up for the best possible future. But little did they know, they were contributing to a society where some people are allotted more privileges and opportunities than others. I will attempt to deconstruct this complex social construction by looking at gender, social class, family influences, race, and socialization; which will be discussed in greater detail further along. When analyzing sociological concepts like gender, social class, and race sociologists use a “sociological lens”. Using a sociological lens will allow me to take the experiences I had and look at them on a broader cultural level. Ultimately sociologists use sociological lenses to better understand how personal experiences not only impact 1 person but how they can be applied in a broader context, allowing individuals to relate to others in society who may have had similar experiences.

One of the most recent national conflicts deals with the shooting and killing of Michael Brown (a black man) by a white police officer ("Holder Announces Ferguson Probe, Review of St. Louis County Police Practices."). Sense Perception and Emotion should be considered when evaluating this situation at Ferguson. The sense perception of the witnesses as well as that of the two involved in the physical conflict needs to be taken into consideration. The police officer could have believed he was defended himself, and Brown could have thought the same. The witnesses and the surrounding population’s opinions should also be considered. St. Louis County is notorious for their crime rate and their protest/ riot like movements. These riots can probably be credited for getting this situation national attention because of the actions and the

Racism, a controversial topic in contemporary American society, has only been accentuated in recent years due to interracial violence, especially violence portrayed by white police officers on black individuals. This violence has led to even more violence and protests upon the police officers as the protesters, mainly black, feel as if they are being policed unfairly. These protests have ranged from mainly peaceful to full on chaos and violence. One could connect this interracial violence and protests to several different criminological theories, including conflict theory, differential selection and processing hypothesis, and neutralization theory. Likewise, these theories could be combined with an end-to end theoretical integration method in order to strengthen empirical validity.

Race and oppression are some of the contributing factors, and seem to be common threads in many violent encounters between rioters and police. There are several similarities between the Los Angeles and Baltimore riots. Communities and law enforcement organizations must analyze the root cause and improve relationships before, during, and after these encounters. Law enforcement leaders must take initiative to successfully handle the crisis and anticipate the community’s expectations to the desired response.

The police involved shooting of Michael Brown has changed the way society views law enforcement, and the method of how law enforcement officers have to interact with this same society. With the deaths of individuals like Brown, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice, and with the assistance of social media and bias news reporting, as well as high level officials within our social structure, who’s speech and words can carry a large impact on our behaviors, there has been a picture painted that police are murdering people of different ethnicities without regard for justifiable force. Politicians, celebrities and the media alike, have been a major contributor to the anti-police sentiment and the violent interactions that police

On August 9th, 2014, an unarmed teenage boy named Michael Brown was murdered by a Ferguson police officer. The reason for his death remains unknown. Bystanders say that the boy in question did not do anything wrong, he even put his hands in the air when police told him so. The conspicuous circumstances of this shooting sparked an already tense situation between the majority of Ferguson inhabitants and the police to a situation which quickly escalated towards riots and protests. This “hands up, don’t shoot” movement received worldwide media attention and generated a debate about the relationship between the black community and law enforcement in the U.S. In this essay I will try to answer how the anger towards the Ferguson police manifested

In the world of sociology there are many different ways that humans interact with the world. Although we are all human beings, we do not always see the world the same way that others do. Even though not many are aware of the different ways they can see the world, there are three sociological perspectives. Using structural functionalism, the conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism one will be able to decide which view best represents the way they see this world. When asked about my perspective on the world, I view it using the conflict theory due to the examples that society gives us based on events that happen frequently. Even though all three of these theories are socially correct, the conflict theory defines my view of the world more than structural functionalism and symbolic interaction.

According to theguardian.com, 634 people have been killed so far in 2015 by police officers or while in custody (theguardian.com, 2015). Years of good policing practices and community trust can be jeopardized by a single act of, or perception of, the excessive use of force (EUF) by police (www.justice.gov, 2015 ). Police deal with difficult people and situations on a daily basis, one of the biggest complaints from citizens is that excessive and sometimes unnecessary force is used by police officers during arrests. In the wake of past claims of police brutality such as Rodney King and more recently publicized victims like Freddy Gray, Eric Garner, and Michael Brown, I will use the functionalist perspective to determine if giving police the liberty to exercise the force they deem necessary per arrest situation is effective or if stricter guidelines for the use of force and training is needed to deal with citizens. I believe most citizens exert some type of resistive behavior when they feel they are being unlawfully arrested. I will investigate separate claims of excessive force use by police against citizens in America. I will also look at other countries’ police brutality complaints to determine if the issue lies mainly in America or if it is a global issue. I will use the inductive research method as well as qualitative research such as present and historical data, past journals, court cases, news publications, and statistical data to conclude my findings.

Recent events involving police use of force in cities like Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City have drawn into sharp focus the divisive issues that reflect the climate of social discord in our nation. Latent stakeholders within communities have gained urgency and legitimacy from external stakeholders such as the media, which provides power. Issues of personal bias, racial profiling, and excessive

Nowadays, it is difficult to watch or read the news without mention of police violence against black men or the rioting done in retaliation. Charles Blow, in his article, “Police Violence: American Epidemic, American Consent,” published in the New York Times, argues the root cause of this brutality stems from historical racism that is still prevalent in today’s society; that everyone is responsible for these violent responses. Blow responds to recent police shootings and riots, addressing the reason behind the current events in hopes of informing the general public of their responsibility and influence in the situation. Blow emphasizes his claim by appealing to pathos, utilizing repetition and metaphors throughout the text, as well as strategically

Generally, individuals tend to stereotype without even realizing they are doing so. Protest are supposed to give a message out so that the individuals voices are heard. Police brutality is an issue and should be dealt with caution, but the way the Dallas protest ended is not the way to get a message across to other individuals. Officer’s should learn how to use proper procedures when arresting an individual. At the end of the day violence does not solve the situations dealing with injustice. The concepts used for this paper reflects how police brutality is due to racism, stereotyping, discrimination, and prejudice if an individual loses their life in the hands of an officer the officer should be served with justice and pay the consequences for not using proper procedures. Knowing the meaning of these concepts helped me have a better view on the protest and why it took place. It also helped with the outcome of the protest as the shooter racially profiled Caucasian citizens and officers to harm them. Though he did not consider how his actions would affect

Comparing and Contrasting How the Three Sociological Theories View the World Steven Spears Southern New Hampshire University Abstract In the world of sociology, there are three views, the conflict, functionalist, and interactionist. Each theory can be used to view the world and its social structure. Though they can be considered independent, it behooves us to examine, additionally, the combining of these views to better elaborate on the social constructs we are witness to.

The movie ‘Policing the Police” is a documentary with INTERVIEWS done of citizens and the Newark Police Department. The first word I thought of when I began watching this movie was DYSFUCTION. From both the police and citizens stand point. The Newark Police Department seems to lack organization and communication. The city is a mess with gangs and gun violence. I believe this movie can have both the CONFLICT and FUNCTIONALIST theories applied. Looking at it from a conflict perspective the police and community are having somewhat of a power struggle. The community feels it’s being targeted and its members are being STEROTYPED just for being young African American men. For example, the citizens feel as though they are being profiled and unconstitutionally