This topic contains a solution. Click here to go to the answer

Author Question: Explain the system-blame approach and discuss the dangers of relying completely on it for explaining ... (Read 27 times)

stevenposner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 608
Explain the system-blame approach and discuss the dangers of relying completely on it for explaining deviance.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Discuss the concept of the culture of poverty, and contrast the views of Banfield and Gross.
 
  What will be an ideal response?



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
Marked as best answer by a Subject Expert

Animal_Goddess

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 339
Answer to Question 1

Feedback: The system-blame approach asserts that societal problems such as crime and poverty exist because of problems within the social system rather than being the fault of the individual. The system-blame approach provides a balance to the person-blame approach common in society, and is used in the chapter because society is the subject of sociology, not the individual. Problems include: (1) It only tells part of the truth. Social problems and deviance are highly complex phenomena that have both individual and systemic origins. (2) A dogmatic system-blame orientation presents a rigidly deterministic explanation for social problems. Taken too far, this position views individuals as robots controlled totally by their social environment. A balanced view of people is needed, because human beings have autonomy most of the time to choose between alternative courses of action.

Answer to Question 2

Feedback: The culture of poverty is the view that the poor are qualitatively different in values and lifestyles from the rest of society and that those cultural differences explain their poverty; i.e. people, because of their social class position, differ in resources, power, and prestige and hence have different experiences, lifestyles, and ways of life. Edward Banfield argues that lower-class individuals have a propensity toward criminal behavior. He asserts that a person in the lower class does not have a strong sense of morality and thus is not constrained by legal rules, and has weak ego strength, a present-time orientation, a propensity for taking risks, and a willingness to inflict injury. Daniel Gross argues that we should forget about the underclass because it is the overclass that is hurting society. He writes: In the underclass, unmarried fathers don't take responsibility for their children. In the overclass, twice-married, middle-aged Wall Street daddies don't own up to the consequences of their insane financial miscues. Unlike Banfield, Gross points to crimes by economic elites within major corporations.




stevenposner

  • Member
  • Posts: 608
Reply 2 on: Jul 2, 2018
Excellent


xiazhe

  • Member
  • Posts: 331
Reply 3 on: Yesterday
Gracias!

 

Did you know?

Approximately 500,000 babies are born each year in the United States to teenage mothers.

Did you know?

Vaccines prevent between 2.5 and 4 million deaths every year.

Did you know?

Astigmatism is the most common vision problem. It may accompany nearsightedness or farsightedness. It is usually caused by an irregularly shaped cornea, but sometimes it is the result of an irregularly shaped lens. Either type can be corrected by eyeglasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.

Did you know?

More than 150,000 Americans killed by cardiovascular disease are younger than the age of 65 years.

Did you know?

Vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate) should be taken before any drug administration. Patients should be informed not to use tobacco or caffeine at least 30 minutes before their appointment.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library