Sociological Analysis of The Central Park Five In the annals of American injustice, few cases evoke as potent a mix of outrage and sorrow as the tragedy of the Central Park Five. This case stands not only as a blight on the criminal justice system, but also as a stark reminder of the enduring power of societal labels and the machinery of oppression. Viewing the media-fueled stigmatization, group-level labeling, and the dynamics of race and class oppression perpetuated through the criminal justice system through the lenses of symbolic interactionism and conflict theory, it becomes evident how and why these five young men were wrongfully convicted of a heinous crime. Beginning by viewing this tragedy through the lens of symbolic interactionism,
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Applying the DuBoisian applications of Marxist theory to the Central Park Five, it is evident that the legal system was used to advance the interests of the elite white class. The upper class’ interests were not only enacted through the legal system; they were also echoed in the media. Not only did the media advance the sensationalized racial narrative, but Donald Trump even took out a front page ad in the New York Times advocating for capital punishment for the five young men. The social conflict in New York echoes the broader pattern of social conflict and inequality in the United States at the time. Looking at the case through Marx’s conflict theory lens and the DuBoisian racial lens exposes the racialized nature of social control, highlighting how institutions of power perpetuate racial hierarchies and subjugate minority groups. In the Central Park Five case, the lenses of symbolic interactionism and conflict theory converge to expose the deep-rooted injustices embedded within the fabric of American
Applying the DuBoisian applications of Marxist theory to the Central Park Five, it is evident that the legal system was used to advance the interests of the elite white class. The upper class’ interests were not only enacted through the legal system; they were also echoed in the media. Not only did the media advance the sensationalized racial narrative, but Donald Trump even took out a front page ad in the New York Times advocating for capital punishment for the five young men. The social conflict in New York echoes the broader pattern of social conflict and inequality in the United States at the time. Looking at the case through Marx’s conflict theory lens and the DuBoisian racial lens exposes the racialized nature of social control, highlighting how institutions of power perpetuate racial hierarchies and subjugate minority groups. In the Central Park Five case, the lenses of symbolic interactionism and conflict theory converge to expose the deep-rooted injustices embedded within the fabric of American