A Closer Look at Suave Mano Dura: The Legitimacy Policing and Latino Stop-and-Frisk
Write 5 paragraphs of at least 100 words each answering the following questions:
Who are Victor Rios and Greg Prieto?
What social problems have Rios and Prieto studied?
Describe the research methodology used for their research paper about “mano dura-mano suave.”
What is the problem with “stop-and-frisk?” Summarize the findings of their study “Mano Suave-Mano Dura”
Was their methodology scientific? Why?
You must list all the sources consulted when preparing your answer, in APA or ASA format.
You are required to use the following sources:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/commentary/story/2020-07-28/commentary-defund-police-systemic-racism (https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/commentary/story/2020-07-28/commentary-defund-police-systemic-racism)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UQfbAZfG_8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UQfbAZfG_8)
https://thesocietypages.org/discoveries/2021/04/21/punitive-policing-persists/ (https://thesocietypages.org/discoveries/2021/04/21/punitive-policing-persists/)
https://www.thoughtco.com/ethnography-definition-3026313 (https://www.thoughtco.com/ethnography-definition-3026313)
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
A Closer Look at Suave Mano Dura: The Legitimacy Policing and Latino Stop-and-Frisk
Victor Rios and Greg Prieto are researchers and scholars who have extensively studied social problems related to policing, specifically focusing on the experiences of Latino communities.
Rios is a professor of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a former gang member himself. He has conducted research on the school-to-prison pipeline, youth gang involvement, and the impact of punitive policies on marginalized communities. Prieto is also a sociologist and has collaborated with Rios on various research projects exploring issues of race, crime, and policing.
One of the social problems that Rios and Prieto have studied is the phenomenon of “mano dura-mano suave,” which translates to “firm hand-soft hand” in English. This concept refers to the different approaches taken by law enforcement in interacting with Latino communities. “Mano dura” represents the tough or aggressive policing tactics, while “mano suave” represents more community-oriented and compassionate approaches.
The research methodology used by Rios and Prieto for their study on “mano dura-mano suave” involved ethnographic research. They immersed themselves in the communities they were studying, spending extensive time observing and interacting with residents, law enforcement officials, and other stakeholders. This approach allowed them to gain a deep understanding of the experiences and perspectives of those involved in these communities.
The problem with “stop-and-frisk” is that it disproportionately targets minority communities, particularly African American and Latino individuals. This policing tactic allows law enforcement officers to detain, question, and search individuals based on suspicion alone, leading to racial profiling and violations of civil rights. Rios and Prieto’s study “Mano Suave-Mano Dura” found that Latino individuals were more likely to be subjected to stop-and-frisk encounters, contributing to feelings of mistrust and alienation towards law enforcement.
The findings of their study revealed that the “mano dura” approach often led to negative outcomes, such as increased animosity between the police and the community, while the “mano suave” approach fostered better relationships between law enforcement and residents. It was evident that building trust and legitimacy through community engagement and respectful interactions had more positive outcomes in terms of crime prevention and community well-being.
Their methodology can be considered scientific because it followed the principles of ethnographic research. They conducted systematic observations, collected data through interviews and field notes, and analyzed their findings to draw conclusions. While ethnographic research may not adhere strictly to traditional scientific methods like controlled experiments, it provides valuable insights into complex social phenomena.
References:
Rios, V., & Prieto, G. (2011). Mano suave-manodura: The effects of police interaction on im/migrant and minority youth. Policing & Society, 21(4), 427-441.
Additional Sources Consulted:
Commentary: Defund police? Let’s dismantle systemic racism instead. (2020, July 28). San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved from source
The Society Pages. (2021). Punitive Policing Persists. Discoveries. Retrieved fromsource](httpsthesocietypages.org/discoveries/2021//21/punitive-policing-persists/)
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. (2015). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
ThoughtCo. (n.d.). What Is Ethnography? Learn Sociology. Retrieved from source
