Forum 5 - Are there some acts or traits which you think

Forum 5

1. Answer the following: 1) Are there some acts or traits which you think would be universally or nearly universally considered deviant? Which ones? 2) Define and contrast the following definitions of deviance: absolutist and relativist. Give examples of each definition.

2. Read and summarize the article "Making Friends with a Murderer-and Proving He's Innocent." What do you think accounts for the considerable number of cases of innocent people that are jailed for crimes that they didn't commit?

3. Read the article "Welcome to Pariahville." 1) What is the importance of the label “sex offender”? Is it always helpful? How does this relate to stigma? 2) Why was this 'community' started? 3) What was your reaction to learning that there is a place like the City of Refuge?

4. Read the relevant section in Chapter 8 on white collar crime versus street crime. 1) Explain in detail the difference between individual crimes (street or blue collar crimes) and corporate or governmental crimes (white-collar crimes) and then answer the following: which type of crime is ultimately more harmful and costly to society and why? 2) Then, use a conflict perspective to explain why certain crimes, victims, and offenders are covered by the media, while others are not.