Crime

Last updated on February 12, 2021

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Class activity: Impact of victimization

In groups of 3-4, consider the following:

  1. Look at all the theories Bateson lists under “WHY MIGHT VICTIMS TURN TO POLITICS?”. Which do you find most plausible? Least plausible? Why?

  2. Bateson finds victimization increases support for authoritarian rule, violation of civil liberties, etc., in Latin America but not the US, Canada, or Africa. Why might this be?

  3. Citizens in Latin America have little faith that the police will do their job and often perceive them as corrupt. And yet many of these same people support giving police freer reign against crime through “mano dura” policies. How can we make sense of this? What does it tell us about the goal of punishment in people’s minds?