If we cant measure it, it doesnt exist. This is a popular saying in the world of science. To measure the magnitude and prevalence of a crime problem, criminologists have formulated different ways to measure crime (i.e., self surveys, secondary analysis, review of official arrest records, and victim surverys). The readings from weak 4 speaks to the strengths and weakenesses of these methods. In 850 words or more, please 1) tell me which method is most accurate and why, what are the limitations of each method, and what are the strengths of each.
https://books.google.tt/books?id=nqW3BgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=true
Week 4 readings
If you cant Measure it, it doesn’t exist.
Gelman, A., Fagan, J., & Kiss, A. (2007). An analysis of the New York City police department’s “stop-and-frisk” policy in the context of claims of racial bias. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 102(479), 813-823.
Durlauf, S. N. (2005). Racial profiling as a public policy question: Efficiency, equity, and ambiguity. American Economic Review, 95(2), 132-136.
Warren, P. Y., & Tomaskovic‐Devey, D. (2009). Racial profiling and searches: Did the politics of racial profiling change police behavior?. Criminology & Public Policy, 8(2), 343-369.
Harrison, L. D. (1995). The validity of self-reported data on drug use. Journal of Drug Issues, 25(1), 91-111.
Rengert, G., Chakravorty, S., Bole, T., & Henderson, K. (2000). A geographic analysis of illegal drug markets. Crime Prevention Studies, 11, 219-240.
Curtis, R., & Wendel, T. (2000). Toward the development of a typology of illegal drug markets. Crime prevention studies, 11, 121-152.
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.
Evaluating Methods of Measuring Crime: Accuracy, Limitations, and Strengths
In the realm of criminology, the ability to measure crime accurately is crucial for understanding the magnitude and prevalence of criminal activities within a society. Various methods have been developed by criminologists to measure crime, including self-surveys, secondary analysis, review of official arrest records, and victim surveys. Each method has its own set of strengths and limitations that impact its accuracy in capturing the true extent of criminal behavior. This essay will explore and compare these methods, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses to determine which method is most accurate in measuring crime.
Self-Surveys
Strengths:
– Self-surveys allow individuals to report their own involvement in criminal activities, providing insights into underreported crimes that may not be captured through official channels.
– They offer a level of anonymity that can encourage more honest responses from participants regarding their criminal behavior.
Limitations:
– Self-surveys are prone to response bias, as individuals may underreport or overreport their involvement in criminal activities based on social desirability or fear of repercussions.
– They may not capture crimes that individuals are unaware of committing or crimes that they are unwilling to disclose.
Secondary Analysis
Strengths:
– Secondary analysis utilizes existing data sources, such as government reports or academic studies, to analyze trends and patterns in crime.
– It provides a cost-effective way to access large datasets and historical information on criminal activities.
Limitations:
– The quality of secondary data sources can vary, leading to potential inaccuracies in the analysis.
– It may be limited by the scope and focus of the original data collection, restricting the breadth of crimes that can be analyzed.
Review of Official Arrest Records
Strengths:
– Official arrest records offer concrete data on reported crimes and arrests made by law enforcement agencies.
– They provide a standardized and structured source of information that can be used for comparative analysis across different regions or time periods.
Limitations:
– Official arrest records only capture crimes that have been reported to and processed by law enforcement, excluding unreported or unresolved criminal activities.
– They may be influenced by biases within the criminal justice system, such as racial profiling or disparities in enforcement practices.
Victim Surveys
Strengths:
– Victim surveys collect information from individuals who have been directly affected by crime, offering a unique perspective on victimization rates and experiences.
– They can capture crimes that have not been reported to law enforcement agencies, providing a more comprehensive view of criminal activities.
Limitations:
– Victim surveys rely on respondents’ ability to recall and report incidents accurately, which can be influenced by trauma, memory bias, or other factors.
– They may not capture crimes against certain populations or demographics that are less likely to participate in surveys.
Conclusion
While each method of measuring crime has its own strengths and limitations, no single method can be deemed as the most accurate in isolation. Combining multiple methods and triangulating data from different sources can provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of crime trends and patterns. By acknowledging the strengths and limitations of each method, criminologists can strive towards developing more robust and reliable measures of crime that contribute to evidence-based policymaking and effective crime prevention strategies.
