Social Change and Deterrence of Law: Power of Perceptions

Members of society have the ability to create the norms that are mandated throughout an entire civilization.  However, since individuals make-up the content to which one abides by in a culture, and have the innateness of freedom of thought, these particularities come into conflict with the laws and theories of deterrence.  For example, there are various behaviors that are illegal, but there are individuals who participate in the illegal behavior because it is not considered a deviation from the norms by them.  A simple and very broad example like this serves as an illustration of how social change, deterrence, and perceptions make the criminal justice system founded in ideologies that embrace a general standard to all people within a particular civilization.  There are many problems that arise because of the obvious contradictions in standards by individuals.

Social change occurs because of the thoughts and feelings about an undesired theory of deterrence or biased practice.  Examples can be noticed in drug use and sales and the enforcement on the War on Drugs, other vices that are illegal that people still engage in, ideologies about tolerance or intolerance, and for specific styles of living that are either innate or acquired through an individual’s lifetime.  Case in point, applications of criminal justice suggest that they have the prestige to determine standards for every person within its grasp regardless if the person agrees with or does not agree with the standards that are generated by criminal justice systems.  Again, the contradictions are very apparent.  The aforementioned aspect of social change delivers these contradictions in a manner that instills an appreciation for both lawfulness and the right to disagree.

Perceptions are what guide the criminal justice systems in contemporary times but, again, the perceptions that the criminal justice systems expound impose general standards on individuals with contradictory beliefs.  So, how do criminal justice systems deal with these conflictions about individual freedoms and general deterrence?  The answer is that the systems usually do not deal with individual freedoms of thought or personal standards; it deals with the perceptions that the codified rules and procedural laws tell law enforcement professionals to enforce.  If a law enforcement professional agrees with an action that is considered to be illegal they still have an obligation to enforce the law because of the general standards that the criminal justice system has established.  General standards by the criminal justice systems are created by individuals, but the individuality that is within society and the minds of people is eliminated because legal codes tell every person what is right and wrong.  There will never be a complete free society because of this and, in many cases, this philosophy of law is required to deter unwanted activities.  The power of perceptions is rooted in individuals and has general applications.