DuPage County Courts and Jail- Not Your Ordinary Fieldtrip

All of a sudden I found myself thinking sociologically when our class took a field-trip to the DuPage County Jail and Courtrooms. When we first arrived at the courtrooms, we were explained what the court rooms would be holding what types of cases and of course everyone wanted to go to the double murder trial. So we headed to the double murder trial where Gary Schuning allegedly killed his mother Dorris and an escort service named Kristi. We immediately saw many sociological terms in the court room. They then started to show evidence and ask questions to the police that was at the crime scene. Although at the beginning the photos were not something shocking, the few photos shown of the victim's body were. This case was a post trial because there was an openning statement that was followed by evidence. This case was also a civil case because courts are being held for this trial and it does not involve legislative branch. This case was also a felony if he is found guilty of this crime becasue he will probably be sentenced to life in prison. The race of the alleged murderer was white. The type of crime, if found guilty, would be a violent crime because it included murder.

The strain theory connects with this because it seems that Gary has no morals or norms because he killed two people and only seems to regret it a little. also, if talking about no having no morals or norms, Gary could be categorized as being on stage 0 because during that stage a person does things according to pleasure or pain.  Gary's family would be part of informal social control because during trial, the family did not speak with Gary and so they showed rejections with their actions towards Gary and his actions. If Gary is found guilty he would be exposed to formal control that involves judges, courts and police because he broke a law.

We then headed to the jail which was a very interesting and quite uncomfortable feeling when we "visited" and saw the inmates in their cells. Fist the Sargent explained to us the whole jail system. We then went to see the inmates. When we first past the inmates we received some not so pleasant comments that kind of made me and some of my classmates uncomfortable. But when you start to think about it, the reason they were so "happy" to see people besides other cell mates was because they are in a total institution and had to be re-socialized.  The race of most of the inmates were either Black or Hispanic.

The inmates seem to have lived or be living in a strictly structured way of living. everything is controlled and is always organized. They are being re-socialized because they have to learn to adapt to a new way of life. I hope I nor any of my friends or family members ever have to be in a jail because it seems that it's hard enough to live with a charge that you are guilty of and I cannot imagine having to adapt to something way different and new. Let's hope none of us get in trouble with the Sargent... especially Jose! ;)

Teeter Totter

I all of a sudden found myself thinking sociologically when one day my sister and I were biking around the neighborhood. We live right by Gary Elementary School and the Preschool. So we always bike there and just play a little on the playground, mainly just the swings. But this particular day we felt like a two year old and went to the Preschool playground. We tried everything in the playground, or so we thought. I saw the teeter totter and was so excited! I haven't been on a teeter totter since grade school! I instantly when on the teeter totter and my sister and I played for a long time. Problem was that I didn't realize how afraid I was of heights until I got on it. So as soon as my sister went down and I went up, I screamed like a baby. People on the other playgrounds were staring at us and making rude faces at us. It was as if they thought that people of our age shouldn't be on the teeter totter or the Preschool playground.

This reminds me of the differential theory because even though my sister and I weren't breaking the law, we liked the fact that we were breaking a folkway. And others knew that we were breaking a folkway also. The usual thinking of a Preschool playground or a playground in general is that only little kids are to play there. My sister and I broke that stereotype by playing on the teeter totter. My sister and I were breaking a folkway and following the differential theory.