Theories of Deviance (The Brock Turner Case)
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Get it written →Please read Chapter 7 in your text, giving particular attentionto the various theories of deviance; make sure you understand the differencesbetween them
Below is a brief summary of a controversial trial from 2015.
In 2015, BrockTurner was arrested and charged with two counts of rape, two counts of felonysexual assault, and one count of attempted rape after he was caught assaultingan unconscious student outside a frat party at Stanford University.
One year later, he wasfound guilty of three counts of felony sexual assault. However, to the dismayof everyone, including his victim,
Turner was sentencedto just six months behind bars though prosecutors recommended six years and he was released after serving just half of his sentence.
At the time of his arrest, Turner was a 20-year-old student and athree-time All American swimmer at Stanford University. He quickly withdrewfrom the university before disciplinary procedures could take place and USASwimming released a statement banning Turner from competitive swimming for theteam.
Judge Aaron Persky received criticism for his light sentencing ofTurner, who had also been accused by another woman of unwanted physicaladvances just days before the rape. Judge Persky was recalled by Californiavoters in 2018 and replaced.
Along with serving three months in jail, Turner was also sentenced tothree years of probation, which expired in 2019, and forced to permanentlyregister as a sexual offender.
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Turner came from a relatively privileged background, and some critics arguedthat he received a light sentence because of that backgroundthat because ofthe publicity surrounding the trial Turner was likely to experience (in JudgePerskys words) adverse collateral consequences- that is, he had more tolose than a less privileged defendant with less desirable life chances.
Turners father, in aletter requesting leniency for his son, stated that punishment would be a”steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years oflife.
Using yoursociological imagination, try to understand how Brock Turner came to committhis deviant act. The questions you need to answer are:
1) Which of the theories presented in the chapterseems to explain his behavior?
Conflict Theory- a theory that states social control isdirectly affected by the strength of social bonds and that deviance resultsfrom a feeling of disconnection from societ
2) How does what you know of Turner’s backgroundlead you to choose this theory?
While I know which theory I think offers the best explanation, Iam open to considering others, provided you can effectively support yourchoice; this means you must really understand the implications of each theory.
You are welcome to do some additional research into the case, if you think itwill help you put your answer together, but remember that you are to focus ondemonstrating
a) your understanding ofthe theories; and
b) explaining how the actions of Turner can be explained by thetheory you choose.
I am looking for 2-4 pages of grammatically correct, thoughtful writing in APAformat. If you use additional resources, you must include a References page,also in APA format Here is how I will be grading you.
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