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Social class status is something that can be projected onto a person based on superficial external characteristics or the situations of one's life including neighborhood characteristics or national identity. From the status that is projected onto the person, an individual may internalize status and behave according to stereotypes, norms, and expectations. A community can contribute to the perpetuation of status attributions and stereotypes via the socialization process. Several of the readings show how social status, stigma, and socialization combine to influence a person's behavior, and how that behavior can be labeled or identified as being deviant or criminal.
One of the most important issues discussed in the readings related to socialization and crime is the article on white collar crime. White collar crime is more than just the specific acts like fraud or embezzlement because reactions to white collar crime reveal the importance of class status and socialization. White collar crime is crime of privilege: it practically...
Moreover, the prison sentencing and conditions for white collar criminals is usually less harsh than it would be for a street crime, even a nonviolent street crime. A white collar criminal is simply perceived differently from a street thug.
The other end of the spectrum from white collar crime is street crime, which is illustrated by Anderson in the article "
Violence and the Inner City Code." The inner city code refers to the systematic socialization of people into a life of violence. It is not that street crime is less harmful than white collar crime, but it is important to notice the differences in
perception of these types of crimes based on the perceived class status of their respective perpetrators. Intersectionality is an issue too, with white collar crime being carried out mainly by people who have white privilege, and people of color being labeled as potential street criminals. Street codes of behavior and socialization breed a sort of toughness and type of
social interaction that is perceived of as deviant by the dominant/white culture. White collar criminals are often able to get away with their crimes despite the tremendous repercussions, by denying responsibility, whereas street criminals can…
