If an upper-middle-class,white college student is sentenced to rehab for the same drug crime that a lower-class,black man is sentenced to jail for committing,what might a conflict theorist conclude about deviance?
A) Differential levels of punishment are functional, as they keep the most productive members of society out of jail.
B) We need to punish criminals from the lower class more harshly, as they are more likely to re-offend.
C) The two criminals probably had very different motives for committing their crimes, and this explains the difference in punishment.
D) The rules are applied unequally, and those with power or influence are punished much less harshly.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A conflict theorist would likely argue that the criminal justice system operates in a way that benefits those with power and influence, while punishing those without. This would explain why the upper-middle-class, white student is given a less severe sentence than the lower-class, black man. The theory would view this as an example of how social inequality and power dynamics play a role in determining who is labeled deviant and how they are punished.

If an Upper-Middle-Class,white College Student Is Sentenced to Rehab for the Same