Sociological research-there is a relationship between social class and Essay

Sociological research-there is a relationship between social class and crime - Essay Example ade great strides in proving that social class has a direct correlation with crime due to the social controls of a capitalist government† (Jones, 2004). Social conflict theory focuses on why governments make and enforce rules of law and morality then why an individual violates the law. The primary goal of Social Conflict is to examine the relationship between the ruling class and the process by which deviance is defined and controlled in capitalist society. The government creates laws and rules to maintain the power and position for the power elite. Centering on a view of society in which the elite class uses the criminal justice system as a means of controlling threats to its status. Conflict theorists do not argue that the poor commit more crimes than the rich, but they are certainly arrested and punished more often. A natural frustration exists in society in which a high value is placed on being rich and attaining the American dream, but this dream is unattainable for the ma jority of the citizens. A deep hostility develops among the lower class toward a social order that they can not participate unless it’s by illegal means. Thus, the legal system is designed to guard the position of the upper class by any legal means necessary. â€Å"Conflict theorists seriously contradict the long-held presumption that the American system of law and justice is humane and fair to all citizens.† (Senna, 2003) It really is not a surprise to any of us that it is the poor and disadvantaged criminals who end up in the coils of the criminal justice system. But it would be a mistake to make accusations about the nature of crime by blaming those individuals who end up in our police cells, courtrooms and prisons. This does not mean that crime in the US or any other part of the world is committed by the poor and disadvantaged. Nor does it mean that disadvantage is the cause of most crime. â€Å"But some of the grossest victimizations are concentrated among the poorer members of