User:Si La Spring 2008

1. I want to do a YouTube project.

2. I would like to explore social deviances and crime. I would also like to explore why crime happens and why people do it. From petty theft, to bombing buildings.Another topic I would be interested in is why people are obessed with disasters and how people react to them.

3. I would contribute to this project my knowledge of social deviances and crime. I also like to compose power points and presentations so I could be of use in that. I also am genuinely interested in the topic so I wouldn't just brush it off.

Riots, Want One?

 * 1) Objective I propose to create a YouTube Video that represents social deviance and crime by trying to explain why people act a certain way during a time of destruction such as riots.
 * 2) Interest This is interesting because I am dealing with several different concepts. I will first start off dealing with the basic components of deviance and crime and why certain classes/people resort to such acts. I will then be dealing with the Conflict theory between different class and status groups (I.E. Rodney King whom sparked the 1992 L.A. Riots). I will then go into the Control theory in discussing why deviant acts are attractful to certain classes. (I.E.-"I have nothing to lose vs. I can't lose what I already have.") I will finally go into the biological component of the topic in tying in all together that the human race are, in fact, animals and resort to our instincts and animalistic behaviors when the pressure of getting caught is taken off of our shoulders.
 * 3) Background reading I will read wikipedia, text book and other basic sociology texts on the following topics: deviance and crime, Conflict theory, Control theory, social control, and the biological component of the human race within society.
 * 4) I will also find scholarly research on the general issue of social deviance and crime and why they are attractful to the human race. Posting links here.
 * 5) I will find popular press discussions of my topic, searching databases and the library for articles, blogs, and videos containg some of the major riots, fights, and destruction the human race seems to enthrall themselves in.
 * 6) General Plan I plan to first start off dealing with the basic components of deviance and crime and why certain classes/people resort to such acts. I will then be dealing with the Conflict theory between different class and status groups (I.E. Rodney King whom sparked the 1992 L.A. Riots). I will then go into the Control theory in discussing why deviant acts are attractful to certain classes. (I.E.-"I have nothing to lose vs. I can't lose what I already have.") I will finally go into the biological component of the topic in tying in all together that the human race are, in fact, animals and resort to our instincts and animalistic behaviors when the pressure of getting caught is taken off of our shoulders. Our plan is to overlay some of the video footage of riots and fights breaking out in our society with the statistics and valid information from our text and other sources explaining these causes. I will be contributing the research/text portion of this project.
 * 7) Collaborators  I will be working with John Seyal.

Comments from Ted


 * 1) General comments.  I think this sounds like a great project idea and your groups seems to be making good progress.
 * 2) Plan.  One way you can make your plan more helpful is work backwards from the final product and document what you  need to do.
 * 3) Background research.   Continue with your background research as planned.
 * 4) Interest.   It seems interesting-- you might want to think carefully about how race relations in US and LA particular with regard to the police force are relevant to your project. Rodney King beatings were seen as symbolic of that relationship.