(Retrofit) Examining Careers in Criminology
No commentsBy Simon Ma
Examining Careers in Criminology
Criminology may sound, initially, like a very concentrated field; however, the truth is that there are a number of different elements that play into the genre of criminology. As a result, there are a number of different careers that an individual will be able to consider when they investigate the life and options of one who works in the field of criminology. For all the many job opportunities and career paths that exist for those who are interested in the field, the field can be slightly difficult to break into for a person. This is due in part to the fact that the inquiring person needs to be well-rounded when it comes to education, but also because the person does typically need a good amount of schooling in order to be considered as a qualified candidate for these types of jobs.
One of the most obvious careers that will typically pop into the minds of people who are thinking about crimes would be the profession of a police officer. This is a very well respected field and does not require as much training and schooling as some other fields might. Applicants will need to be tested in a number of ways prior to being offered a position, and in some more urban and populated areas there is a more desperate need for qualified police officers. As a result, there is slightly more competition than there may be in a small town that is looking to hire police officers.
A drug policy advisor needs to do many things depending on their field of concentration. Some of these advisors need to be able to look at trends and crimes over a period of time, and then weigh this information against the rest of the information that the individual has needed to research. In some cases, this can include the number of deaths as a result of the drug and the number of violent crimes that have taken place in an area involving the drug as an instigator in the crime. By looking at this information, and also at how much annually is spent on the drug for different demographics, a drug policy advisor can make some suggestions regarding the medication or drug. Sometimes there are no negative repercussions as a result of the drug, but in other cases policies need to be put in place in order to place restrictions for the good of the public and the welfare of citizens.
Other productive careers also include crime intelligence analysts, advocates on behalf of the consumer, private crime prevention leaders, and individuals that are working corrections. These many careers require different and specific levels of schooling before the individual candidate can be seen as qualified for the job. Cost of education varies depending on where an individual attends school in order to receive their education and how long they are required to their university.
Careers in Criminology are not just open within the United States for individuals, but are actually located in different areas around the world. Different laws are established by different governments, so not all individuals qualified to work in the field of Criminology within the United States could do so in other areas of the world. Still, individuals that are qualified in different areas can broaden their search options and range by looking at careers outside their geographic location.
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How to Understand Criminology Theories
By Simon Ma
How to Understand Criminology Theories
When it comes to understanding the theories behind connections between crimes and individuals or the community, many people may not realize that the beliefs that differentiate the theories are not as complex as they may seem at first. By simplifying the core of the theories, individuals are able to more properly understand the different theories that can help individuals to identify the theory that they most identify with when considering the interactions of crime and society. Once the foundation of the theories are understood, it is much easier to build upon the theory by including some of the more complex ideas supported by the theory. A number of theories exist, and many are being created daily on the part of individuals. However, there are a few theories that are more common and widely held as beliefs than other theories may be.
There are social structure theories, or those theories that the status and construction of the social setting will define the likelihood and amount of crime in the area. Individuals that are exposed to poverty and other signs of social deterioration are believed to be more prone to crimes and acts of violence. There are other specific social theories that believe crime is perpetuated by the inequality that exists within the social structure that is established. When people are unable to achieve that which society expects of them, such as the American Dream, these individuals turn to crime to try to realize this dream. Individual theories exist in order to explain criminology within a society. Trait theories are those based on scientific knowledge of the human body and how chemicals and genetic material will determine or alter how an individual responds to stimuli. Aggressive behavior and antisocial tendencies are just some of the many personality traits of individuals that are involved in crime, and the links to genetics, hormones and other biological factors are currently being studied.
Some theories stop looking at what encourages an individual to become corrupt, and instead focus on the effects of society to explain how and why some people are able to lead productive and admirable lives. These theories are commonly referred to as control or social control theories. In an example, it is illustrated that an individual that has a greater degree of self control will be able to wait patiently while attaining their dream or goal instead of using possibly degenerate means in order to gain immediate access to their desire. Symbolic interaction as a theory examines the relationship of the powerful, ruling class and those that are less powerful. By integrating themselves into the belief that they were less powerful, youths that were looked down on played up to the role designated to them. It represents a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts since the youths are taking the more powerful group at their word and transferring the definition onto themselves as criminals.
Of the last main theories that surround criminology, rational choice theory maintains that criminals weigh the pros and cons of an outcome just like anyone else. When the costs and benefits are dissected, the criminal will make a decision. They may also consider the time and place for the crime as well in order to find the situation with the lowest crime risk.
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Career Choices in Criminology and Forensic Science
By Simon Ma
How to Use Criminology and Forensic Science to Effectively Solve Crimes
There are a number of ways in which an individual is able to couple criminology and the practices of forensic science in order to catch a criminal. In some cases, the individual is profiled through criminology and matched up to the forensic evidence left at the scene of the crime. However, there are a number of other ways in which the two genres are used together in order to bring about justice within the penal system. Criminology is the study of how science and environment affects the criminal mind, as well as the interaction between individuals or communities and the criminal element. Forensic science is the area of study in which individuals are able to transform one small piece of information into something of substance. In many cases, forensic scientists are able to use pieces of forensic evidence and what they learn from this piece in order to effectively illustrate either a link between and individual and the crime or an alibi for the individual wrongly accused of a crime.
A few major career focus areas for forensic scientists exist. Criminology areas of expertise range as well, although they are all trained by learning similar material in school. Forensic science fields are especially diverse and offer unique benefits within each one. Together, the members of the forensic science and criminology teams are able to work together in order to piece together their separate information to come up with one solution near completion, based on the facts they have all gathered. For example, a police officer working as a criminology expert may be able to psychologically profile a suspect, but they would require the help of a forensic scientist in order to match carpet fibers from the crime scene to carpet fibers in the suspects home or vehicle. By linking together all the separate notions that each individual is able to learn, a complete or near complete timeline of the suspect and crime can be composed. With enough evidence, this can be taken before a court and the trial will begin against the alleged suspect.
Some of the categories that exist for individuals involved in forensic work include medical examiners that inspect corpses, crime laboratory analysts that are able to look at the chemical and biological makeup of pieces of evidence, crime scene examiners, and those that assist in a technical or academic capacity. Through the combination of these different branches, coupled with the work of criminologists, crimes can be pieced together in a more logical and straightforward way, in order to illustrate to juries and judges the events of the crime and suspected individual. This is especially important because in serious cases the jury has to be in agreement that there is no reasonable doubt on the part of the individual defendants role in the crime. In other cases, the defense will use the forensic evidence in order to clear their defendant of the charge or charges against them. By using virtually irrefutable evidence of a scientific nature, the jury and the judge are able to clearly see how crimes are or are not linked to the suspect.
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