Essay on Personal Social Location

I am a 20-year-old male of the millennial generation. I am a Caucasian White, single never been married before and I live in the Boston Suburbs Massachusetts. I have traveled throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. I am a Protestant, and I attend the Baptist Church, but I am not very religious. I embrace cultural tolerance, and I view everyone as equal. I also respect peoples rights, their political affiliation, religious views, race, and ethnicity. I am currently pursuing my undergraduate degree, and my current income $25000 per year. I work as a part-time assistant manager at a local garage.

I can say that I have interacted with people from all ethnicities from school, place of work, social places and even in my neighborhood, and it is clear that people have different views regarding juvenile delinquency. People in my social group view juvenile delinquency as an issue that has fetched so much attention from the criminal systems in America although it is clear that the laws do not clearly stipulate what kinds of punishments are there for such criminals. Some people in the society consider juvenile delinquency as a social problem that is beyond the reach of school and parent punishments. Some people associate juvenile delinquencies with people of a certain ethnic background, while others associate it with bad parenting and broken families.

Personal Experiences

Regarding my personal experiences, I have been convicted once by police for over-speeding, after a night out with my friends when I was just eighteen years old. Spending two days in jail and doing community service was not an easy task for me. Some of the people I shared the police cell with, individuals as young as 13-year olds. It was not a pleasant experience, and I can say that I am not proud of my actions back then. The criminal justice system in America still treat juveniles as adult criminals as in the case of when I was in jail when we slept in the same cell with an adult criminal, and it is unfortunate that some of the juveniles end up in adult prisons depending on the crime that they have committed. Although my case was light and I did not have to go to court, I felt that the criminal justice system was harsh to juveniles, regardless the type of crime they committed.

Variables that Shape my Views

Based on my experiences working and interacting with people, I view the world in a wider perspective putting into consideration the fact that people have different views regarding social issues for instance juvenile delinquency. It is through experience that I have come to understand how people feel regarding the American criminal and justice systems and also their points of view regarding its procedures. I have a better view of the social problems, and I can say I am in a better position to defend my arguments than before.

Influence of Social Location on Personal Experiences in the Field of Criminology and Juvenile Delinquency

Based on my social location and personal experiences, it is clear now that I have the better understanding of criminology and the aspect of juvenile delinquency that before. Based on first-hand experience and interactions with people, I need to probe deeper into research regarding juvenile delinquency. The field is not thoroughly researched, and there is still a lot to be done, to ensure that the field is widely understood.

Bias and impact of Research

Some of the biases that I might possess include cognitive bias, as a result of the misstep during thinking, and I may somehow deviate from standards of judgments. The other bias is the conflict of interest as I may have a personal point of view regarding the subject that may affect my research and interpretation of results. The other bias is prejudice, which might arise when I judge situations without sufficient facts or evidence. I believe that this might affect the way I will develop my arguments in research.