1. In criminology, there are two models of crime: the consensus model and the conflict model (Jessica's, 2005). Under the consensus model, the majority of citizens in a society share the same values and beliefs (morals), and criminal acts are those that conflict with these values and beliefs and are deemed harmful to society. In sociological terms, this is the structural functionalist view, which emphasizes harmony, consensus and cooperation (Sociological, 2005). Functionalists see society from a macrosociological point of view. Functionalists emphasize the importance of shared moral values and strong social bonds to a society. They believe that moral values erode when there are rapid social changes or disruptive conditions such as rapid urbanization and industrialization, and it is under these conditions that rape occurs. Higher rates of rape occur when there are higher rates of divorce, higher rates of geographic mobility, or higher rates of tourism. Acts such as rape show that society does not have law and order, and functionalists believe that when rape happens, society needs to act swiftly to reinstate law and order, and moral values in the society.
In the conflict model, the content of criminal law is determined by the groups that hold economic, political, and social power in a community (Jessica's, 2005). What constitutes a criminal act is determined by the group in power. Conflict theory emphasizes competition over the control of scarce resources (wealth, power, prestige), and is not conducive to social harmony or social cohesion (Sociological, 2005). Conflict theorists explain rape in three different ways. First, it can be seen as due to the unequal bargaining power in sexual encounters in patriarchal societies. Secondly, it can be due to racial oppression as in the rape of African American women by white men, which went unpunished for years. The criminal justice system is harsher on an African American man...