The Origins of Social Control
The subjects utilized in the story "The Origins of Social Control" in the book "Policing the crisis" by Hall et al. (2013) are from a different race, social class, age, gender as well as sexuality. This is because the role of the departments under discussion are interrelated such that one department depends on the other for information as well as the execution of relevant task as per their job description. There are four categories of people in the context that are mainly being discussed, and this are the police or local authority officers, members of the press, judicial members and the muggers who are not a main part of the story, but their actions (mugging) is the primary agenda. People within the same department have similar social capital and education as well. This is because the qualifications for the job and the salaries being earned are almost equal (apart from the fact that the most experienced individuals are advanced in job groups).
Roles played in the society
The local authorities are supposed to maintain law and order in the society by capturing the criminals and taking to court for judgment. The members of the judiciary are mandated with the power to provide justice to the people who are brought to them. They should not be partisan but should seek evidence and the court proceedings as well as the constitution while determining the fate of the accused. The members of the press are supposed to enlighten the public about the issues going on in the society and hence they have to seek their information from reliable sources such as the police department and courts.
Analysis
The author shapes the relationship of the subjects by using mugging as an object of interest. For example, the police have to issue the reports concerning the public attacks to reassure the public as well as warn them to be alert and aware. They have to use tthe press in order to issue this report. Then, the press has to spread this information using various means such as news feeds through the newspapers, radios, and television so that they can reach to almost every member of the society. The police and the media are connected to the judiciary. This is because police cases are referred to the court for judgments, and the proceedings have to be made public through the media, and that is how the press comes in.
Findings
The judiciary, the police and the media are involved in the formation of public tension that usually emerges as a result of crimes in an area. This is because instead of strictly concerning themselves with the legal or statistical aspects of the cases at hand, they react to the situations. They are usually active in defining the problem in public by selecting the target, starting and structuring the campaigns, and selectively signifying their actions to the people as well as legitimating their behaviors via the accounts of the situations which they produce. Instead of controlling the moral panic in the society they participate in contributing to it by not offering credible solutions are they should be doing. Thus the picture painted by the author concerning the three departments is that they are not responsible enough and are not dedicated to serving the public. This is because the kind of actions taken is not aimed at protecting the people but rather to hail their actions. Thus, what they seek is not justice, they are after fame for doing less than their expectations.
Impact of the study
The impact of this study is to tell the people the truth concerning the role of the media, police and the judiciary concerning crime solutions. The study aims at making it known to the people that all the information given is not true and that these departments at times might lie in order to hide their inabilities or wrongdoing. This information also notifies the public that some people have been convicted due to the crimes they did not commit. Also, the makes the public aware that some of the moral pressure and panic engineered by these departments and hence they should also take part in seeking the truth of the matter from other sources. Thus, the public should not believe everything that the media says concerning a particular agenda. On the other hand, the information given by the authors follow the evidence provided and hence there are no cases of paradox or contradictions concerning conclusion drawn and the evidence provided.
Significance of the method
This style enables the reader an article or a story to be able to find the actual purpose or theme being spread by the writers. This is because one can see the relationship between the subjects used and the objects. Also, the role of the subjects in the environment created by the authors is clearly understood and hence interpreting the information in a real sense becomes an easy task. The style also makes it possible for the authors integrate different issues and come out with one theme that would enlighten the intended audiences in an apparent manner through the creation of effective correlations between various subjects used.
Reference
Hall, S., Critcher, C., Jefferson, T., Clarke, J., " Roberts, B. (2013). Policing the crisis: Mugging, the state and law and order. Palgrave Macmillan.
