Consensus Perspective

Consensus Approach of Criminal Justice This is a paper that outlines the consensus approach in criminality and addresses the principles explained by Michalowski and Pound. It has 5 sources. Among other approaches to criminal justice, the consensus approach is one that emphasizes the opinion of the whole society. These opinions are ones that are streamlined through legislation and reinforced through social institutions. This is the reason why social institutions reinforce the law through their actions of quelling social disturbances.

In fact this is the reason why social institutions are referred to as the ideological repressive apparatus of a state. It is when these fail that the state repressive apparatus comes into action. However, for these institutions to carry out their actions it is necessary for individuals to first fulfill a criterion in order for them to deal with them. It is when individuals fit these descriptions that the individuals in society see the actions carried out by social institutions against the individuals as legitimate.

It must be realized that these actions carried out on the basis of an individual fitting a criterion, are ultimately an outcome of the values devised by the society. This is something that is outlined by Michalowski. First of all, human beings have tried to understand the world, and in the process of this they have given certain actions specific meaning. And, as a result of this, values have been created, which are relevant to cultures.

According to the culture of a society, a particular lot of people may be termed as deviant if they adhere to certain activities that seen as immoral in the eyes of the society. Based on these specified views they may be termed as criminals. It must be realized that certain acts are only seen as deviant according to the meaning that people give to it. Acts in themselves are not deviant until and unless people give them specific meaning.

Throughout history it has been known that human beings try to understand the world in easier ways, and so they have figured out ways to do so. Labeling is one of the ways that humans have chosen to understand the world and get a large number of people under their control. Crime, Inequality, and Justice (2003) Without labeling individuals it would be difficult for social institutions to deal with people effectively.

This refers to institutions such as the law-enforcing ones that have to control a large number of individuals who have broken the law. By terming them as criminals these individuals may be treated as such, and most actions carried out against them by the law would be legitimized in the eyes of society. It must be understood that the legitimization of the action taken against those that are termed as criminals is a result of the meaning that society has given to certain actions.

Criminology today (2003) According to the principles that Michalowski has established it is very fitting that social institutions come together in order to act in positive manners. This means that all actions carried out by social institutions are legitimized in the eyes of the society. This is because of the belief that laws reflect enforcement of social or religious values. These laws are supposed to represent social consciousness, and are also supposed to serve people well.

Whether or not this is done it must be asserted that this is the aim in a consensus approach because of the fact that everyone in society agrees to the implementation of laws that would maintain stability. Criminology today (2003) If laws did not exist, there would be no social institutions, and hence chaos would prevail with much insecurity. There would also be no education, and therefore no development as well. Since there would be much chaos there would be plenty of injustice, which no one would want to live amidst.

Hence laws applied and the actions that are taken through them are all seen as justified. This is the reason why those who break the law are all seen as evil or abnormal in some way or the other. This legitimizes the actions that are taken against them. Although an individual really speaking may not be mad or abnormal it is simply his or her actions that transform his image in front of society.

Criminal justice (2003) It is the label they are given, which has some meaning that makes an individual seem bad. An example of this is an individual who has been wrongly convicted of a felony. The evidence furnished against him or her may have been false, but the fact that s/he has been convicted means that the individual is bad in the eyes of the society and hence any punishment or sentence awarded to him or her is justified.

Criminology today (2003) It must therefore be understood that the consensus approach is one that concerns the mass psychology of society and does not consider an individual's approach to normal living. It is an approach that seems to promote what most people assume as correct and ignores individuals in minority who might have different approaches to life.

Hence, it may also be said that individuals with opposing views that are not necessarily harmful for society may be viewed as abnormal or bad for the society simply because of the accepted norms and practices. In view of the way that.