Question

Choose either Conflict theory or Social trust and give two (2) clear reasons or EVIDENCE from Cesare Beccaria's 1764 article why you feel this best explains American society today.

Answer 1

Social trust theory is the belief in which one party trusts another in honesty, reliability, and integrity.

As per Pew research on American society done through surveys, it shows that white people trust more than a Hispanic or a black. Married couples are more trusting than the unmarried, and the middle-aged and elderly people are more trusting than young people. The level of trust is almost the same irrespective of their demographic or political traits or faith. In the multinational international surveys, American society is found to be more trusting compared to African or Asian countries.

The pattern of trust in American society is based on the economic condition of the people the poor and those staying in cities less trust that than those staying in the suburbs and small town. The level of trust depends upon how often people interact with each other. In cities, the population is more and people have no time for themselves, there is less interaction. While in small towns and less populated suburbs people know each other well and trust is more evident among the people.

The level of trust is related to age and education and social status, the elderly and middle-aged people who have more experienced in life are more trusting than the younger generation, the educated people become more sophisticated and more level of social trust, with the education they have more successful life that also improves social trust in them compared to poor and less educated people.

Beccaria was an Italian, born on March 15, 1738, he was a criminologist and an economist. On 12th April 1764, he witnessed the brutal killing of Bartolomeo Luisetti after being convicted of sodomy. The punishment was very cruel to create the fear of God in common people and frightened them of the consequences of a crime.

His book on Crimes and Punishment was published in 1764 that highlighted the cruel system of punishment spread throughout the European world. At that time European society was ruled by a few prominent and socially wealthy people. Italian society was more influenced by the Church's supremacy, they had their influence on social reform and had vested interest in law that reflects that the power and laws are in the hands of a few privileged people.

Beccaria gave the slogan to the society that reflects the utilitarian theory that greatest happiness to a greater number of people. He was aware that the reforms can be done through political reforms and replace war with trade, there has to be more interaction among people and new ideas of trust have to be spread.

His second point was that little is done about the cruel way of punishing people, his effort that principles of political economy should establish humanized and rationalized way of punishing people, the work of the law is not to terrorize people, it should bring social change in the society through the rational reform of penal law and that requires rethinking. He had a very clear idea about the evaluation and description of the law.

From the above evidence, it is clear that Beccaria was a secular political thinker who wanted free and equal society, he wanted the law of justice should be free from divine justice (that has the church interference). He described the crime as a breach of the social contract and not a sin that has to be punished severely to instigate the fear of God. His theory is more of a social reform where people at large give a portion of their freedom to an authority that guarantees its protection.  

The American society today is looked after by the elected representatives the people they have given their part of freedom and trusted these representatives for their security and freedom.

'This can be obtained through social trust and genuine political freedom and that American society is enjoying at present. There is trust among the people and policymakers. The criminal system is free from the interference of the church, and there is a proper system of judgment, that strengthens the trust among people. American society is enjoying political freedom that has a positive psychological effect on society that gives clear and predictable guidance about its security and trust.