SOC 417 GCU The High Crime Rates Among the African Americans Ethnicity Essay

In your final essay (2,000-2,500 words), citing the five to seven scholarly sources you analyzed in your Literature Review, define and explain the role of a theory in providing a perspective on the social problem you selected for this course.

Using your selected social problem and the revised content from your worksheets, and outline, address the following in your essay:

Describe how these theories help explain the existence of your chosen social problem and its continued impact on society:

Functionalism

Symbolic Interactionism

https://lc.gcumedia.com/soc102/our-social-world-an…

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Typing Template for APA Papers: A Sample of Proper Formatting for APA Style
Student A. Sample
College Name, Grand Canyon University
Course Number: Course Title
Instructor’s Name
Assignment Due Date
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Typing Template for APA Papers: A Sample of Proper Formatting for APA Style
This is an electronic template for papers written according to the style of the American
Psychological Association (APA, 2020) as outlined in the seventh edition of the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association. The purpose of the template is to help
students set the margins and spacing. Margins are set at 1 inch for top, bottom, left, and right.
The text is left-justified only; that means the left margin is straight, but the right margin is
ragged. Each paragraph is indented 0.5 inch. It is best to use the tab key to indent, or set a firstline indent in the paragraph settings. The line spacing is double throughout the paper, even on the
reference page. One space is used after punctuation at the end of sentences. The font style used
in this template is Times New Roman and the font size is 12 point. This font and size is required
for GCU papers.
The Section Heading
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and each word of four or more letters is capitalized. The heading should be a short descriptor of
the section. Note that not all papers will have headings or subheadings in them. Papers for
beginning undergraduate courses (100 or 200 level) will generally not need headings beyond
Level 1. The paper title serves as the heading for the first paragraph of the paper, so
“Introduction” is not used as a heading.
Subsection Heading
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in a first level heading. This is a Level 2 heading, and it is flush left and bolded, and the initial
word and each word of four or more letters is capitalized.
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Subsection Heading
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within a section. In other words, use at least two subheadings under a main heading, or do not
use any at all. Headings are used in order, so a paper must use Level 1 before using Level 2. Do
not adjust spacing to change where on the page a heading falls, even if it would be the last line
on a page.
The Title Page
When you are ready to write, and after having read these instructions completely, you can
delete these directions and start typing. The formatting should stay the same. You will also need
to change the items on the title page. Fill in your own title, name, course, college, instructor, and
date. List the college to which the course belongs, such as College of Theology, College of
Business, or College of Humanities and Social Sciences. GCU uses three letters and numbers
with a hyphen for course numbers, such as CWV-101 or UNV-104. The date should be written
as Month Day, Year. Spell out the month name.
Formatting References and Citations
APA Style includes rules for citing resources. The Publication Manual (APA, 2020) also
discusses the desired tone of writing, grammar, punctuation, formatting for numbers, and a
variety of other important topics. Although APA Style rules are used in this template, the
purpose of the template is only to demonstrate spacing and the general parts of the paper. GCU
has prepared an APA Style Guide available in the Student Success Center and on the GCU
Library’s Citing Sources in APA guide (https://libguides.gcu.edu/APA) for help in correctly
formatting according to APA Style.
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The reference list should appear at the end of a paper. It provides the information
necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve any source you cite in the body of the paper. Each
source you cite in the paper must appear in your reference list; likewise, each entry in the
reference list must be cited in your text. A sample reference page is included below. This page
includes examples of how to format different reference types. The first reference is to a webpage
without a clear date, which is common with organizational websites (American Nurses
Association, n.d.). Next is the Publication Manual referred to throughout this template (APA,
2020). Notice that the manual reference includes the DOI number, even though this is a print
book, as the DOI was listed on book, and does not include a publisher name since the publisher
is also the author. A journal article reference will also often include a DOI, and as this article has
four authors, only the first would appear in the in-text citation (Copeland et al., 2013).
Government publications like the Treatment Improvement Protocol series documents from the
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (2014) are another common source found online. A book
without a DOI is the last example (Holland & Forrest, 2017).
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References
American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Scope of practice. https://www.nursingworld.org/practicepolicy/scope-of-practice/
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2014). Improving cultural competence (HHS
Publication No. 14-4849). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK248428/
Copeland, T., Henderson, B., Mayer, B., & Nicholson, S. (2013). Three different paths for
tabletop gaming in school libraries. Library Trends, 61(4), 825–835.
https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2013.0018
Holland, R. A., & Forrest, B. K. (2017). Good arguments: Making your case in writing and
public speaking. Baker Academic.
Outline
Abstract: Scoliosis is a sideways curve in the spine that is often diagnosed in
adolescents. The spine forms a curvature of C or S form. This results in back pain and
deformity, if not treated in a timely manner (Wheeler, 2020). This illness can be passed on to
the generations and it can happen at different age and gender groups. The reason behind most
childhood’s scoliosis not being detected is due to conditions like muscular dystrophy and
cerebral palsy. The majority of cases of the illness are mild but the condition of curves
worsens with the growth of the child. Severe scoliosis can result in lungs dysfunction
(Scoliosis, 2021).
1. Introduction
2. Problems experienced by individuals and their families
a. body image problems
b. psychological stress
3. Application of psychological theory
4. Assistance by health psychologists or health psychology
5. Current research
a. Larson
6. Conclusion
a. Concluding remarks
SOC-417 Topic 5:
How Theory Works Essay
Outline
Assignment Directions:
Create an outline below for the Final Essay by completing each section. You will turn in your
outline for feedback from your instructor. Use this feedback to revise your outline:
I.
Introduction:
Describe your selected social problem (30-40 words):
The high crime rate among the African Americans ethnicity.
The crime rate varies significantly among ethnic groups and a study by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (2019) suggest 26.6 percent of arrests among Black/African American.
Explain the social problem and a justification for choosing it. (50-75 words)
The high crime rate among blacks is associated with socioeconomic factors like poverty,
unemployment, poor neighborhoods, and lack of access to education. The social problem was
selected based on the increased public controversy and debate on the topic, where some people
argue that there is an overrepresentation of blacks in the criminal justice system following
racial discrimination by the police during arrests.
Apply the social imagination to the selected social problem. (50-75 words)
The social imagination of the crime rate among the blacks is centered not on the structural
constraints imposed by the racial stratification but the existing unique aspects of the African
American culture that undermine nobleness and encourage crime. For instance, in the US
crime rate, blacks are associated with poor upbringing resulting in children developing
problematic behavior like lying to teachers and parents.
II.
Functionalism-
Describe how the functionalist perspective explains the social problem you selected. (75-100
words)
Functionalists argue that a limited amount of crime among blacks is beneficial, inevitable,
and necessary. The functionalists theorize crime to be inevitable as people cannot be equally
committed to developing shared values and moral beliefs, hence some individuals will
inevitably break the law. Crime has positive functions and contributes to the well-being of the
society through developing self-regulation, where on arresting an individual the rest of the
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society learns that such behavior is unacceptable. Crime leads to self-integration where
people join together to fight criminal activities.
III.
Classical Conflict Theory-
Describe how the classical conflict perspective explains the social problem you selected. (75100 words)
The theory argues that the crime definitions are controlled by those in power, the wealthy, and
individuals with social status in society. In a broader sense, these groups of people tend to
make laws and review laws in a way that protects them. Classical conflict perspective
demonstrates that moral consensus is not considered on issues of criminality but the more
crimes the ruling class commits, the more the value created. According to this theory, African
Americans in upper and elite social classes are associated with the high crime rate problem.
IV.
Modern Conflict Theory-
Describe how the modern conflict perspective explains the social problem you selected. (75100 words)
This perspective tends to show that the African Americans in the US commit crimes as they
scramble for limited resources. The theory argues that since the blacks are among the
minorities, they are unable to acquire resources due to other dominating ethnicities like the
whites. Therefore, the African Americans commit crimes like robbery with violence, murder,
homicide due to the perpetual conflict between them, the disadvantaged, and dominating races
that can acquire the resources easier.
V.
Symbolic Interactionism-
Describe how the symbolic interactionism perspective explains the social problem you
selected. (75-100 words)
According to symbolic interactionism, crime among African Americans is constantly produced
through social interaction, which results in individuals acquiring detrimental behavior
(Claerbaut, n.d). This perspective is associated with labeling and stigma, where since several
black individuals are arrested in a neighborhood, the rest are viewed as criminals. In a broader
sense, this theory assumes that deviance is socially constructed through interactions in
everyday lives. Additionally, crime among the blacks is viewed as culturally transmitted where
it is assumed that if thieves raise a child, there is a higher chance that the kid will eventually
grow up and become a thief.
VI.
The Christian Worldview and Sociological Thought
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Explain how someone with the Christian Worldview might approach reasoning for the social
problem as well as the hope of alleviating the social problem. (75-100 words)
Christian worldview assumes that crime is a sin since it causes suffering to people by treating
them unfairly. The Christians do not judge or revenge crime offenders but rather believe that
they should forgive these sins the same way God forgives them. However, when crime
offenders are punished through law sentencing, the Christians believe that the court is
exercising justice on behalf of God. Christianity teaches values and sound morals and hence
when criminals repent and change their ways, they are forgiven.
VII.
Conclusion-
Conclude your essay with a statement of how society works according to the theories
presented in this course. (75-100 words)
In conclusion, the theories give reasons why crime occurs among the black community. The
theories show why some offensive behaviors are on some occasions considered crimes, while
others are viewed as normal behavior. In other words, the theories demonstrate the influence
of acquired mannerisms and the effects of socialization on people’s values. These theories
allow individuals to comprehend the subtle differences between the terms crime and deviance,
where crime is viewed as defying the law while deviance is violating social norms.
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References
Claerbaut, D. Our Social World: An Introduction to Sociology. Lc.gcumedia.com. Retrieved 17
March 2022, from https://lc.gcumedia.com/soc102/our-social-world-an-introduction-tosociology/v1.1/#/chapter/2
The Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2019). Table 43: 2019 Crime in the United States. FBI.
Retrieved 17 March 2022, from https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-theu.s.-2019/topic-pages/tables/table-43
© 2017. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.