Explain what it means to say that crime is a social construction. In your own words, explain what it means to think of “crime” as socially constructed? In your answer, explain why Reiman compares the criminal justice system to a carnival mirror. Make sure that you provide concrete examples from the reading and our class lecture to illustrate this comparison as best as you can. What key argument is Reiman making with his metaphor of the “carnival mirror”? How does the carnival mirror deceive us? What does this say about the threats we perceive as dangerous and thus, punish as criminal? Finally, briefly explain why you agree or don’t agree with Reiman’s theory of the criminal justice system as a carnival mirror.
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