The Criminalization Of Everyday Life Summary

In this reading response, I will be focusing on the article “The Criminalization of Everyday Life” by Sally Engle Merry and “Division of Labor” by Emile Durkheim. Merry and Durkheim have opposing ideas on the topic of crime and criminalization. While Merry believed that it functions to restrict and dominate a group of people, Durkheim believed that it is a necessary tool for societies to operate.
Merry stated that laws target aspects of everyday life to insure control of the dominant group over the inferior group. She claimed that criminalization is an important tool for capitalist leaders in creating this stigma. Capitalism criminalizes customs that natives have been practicing for generations so they could better adapt to the new way of life. Consuming drugs and alcohol, adultery, and festivals are then made illegal. This is a way to control the indigenous population and ensure the colonists’ power over them.
Durkheim believed that criminalization benefits society because it creates balance. He goes on to say that a common universal characteristic of what is considered criminal is that the general population frowns upon them. An act is criminal because …show more content…
Agricultural societies survival and economy depend on crops and farms. When the colonials introduced capitalism, it brought many negative conditions. Harmless actions were made into offenses so the capitalist owners could control the workers and create a systematic destruction of indigenous life. Durkheim’s conclusion was that crime was a natural part of life. It helps to secure societies belief on what is immoral and wrong. It must be collectively agreed upon. While Merry would say that criminalization was a tactic to shame, Durkheim would say that it was needed as a reminder. Merry viewed criminalization as an evil administration, but Durkheim saw it as a part of