CRIME AND SOCIAL HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

CRIME AND SOCIAL HISTORY - Essay ExampleSince vigilantism has its focus on the control of wickedness and other social standards, its manifestation is likely to occur in atmospheres rife with crime problems and social inequities (Dumsday 2009, p. 50). When the public watches as their governing body fails to sufficiently uphold the determine and norms it was designed to protect, they are likely to engage in acts of vigilantism (Dumsday 2009, p. 50). The vigilante crowd form and function because they understand that some established rules are threatened or could possibly be threatened and transgressed (Dumsday 2009, p. 55). Vigilantism also surfaces after a period of organization, rather than by spontaneous eruption (Dumsday 2009, p. 50). southeasterly African vigilantism reflects these descriptions. As Buur (2006) describes, South African vigilantism arose in response to the failure of formal law (p. 735). Paradoxically, the one element the vigilantism was primarily responding to w as crime (Buur 2006, p. 736). The publics view of the law enforcement capabilities of their government was very poor, and so they lacked confidence in the accepted and institutionalized norms. In South Africa, a long history of vigilantism exists, including the formation there of a group of vigilantes that rose up to fight a group of hijackers that wore police uniforms in order to more effectively accomplish their goals (Buur 2006, p. 741).The Irish Republican Army (IRA) unionized itself to carry out vigilantism in response to British occupation of Northern Ireland (Pruitt 2007, p. 1521). The people resented British presence there for many years, but didnt trick up vigilantism until 1968, after four decades of tension had built (Pruitt 2007, p. 1521). The people of Ireland who shared this common goal of eliminating British rule and reuniting Northern Ireland with the rest of the country organized at nonviolent demonstrations at that time (Pruitt 2007, p. 1521). When the police resp onded violently to the demonstrations, chaos ensued