As part of preparing for University, new students were encouraged to engage in a number of different activities. For CRI1009 Imagining Crime, students were invited to contribute a blog on the above topic. These blog entries mark the first piece of degree level writing that students engaged with as they started reading for their BA (Hons) Criminology. With the students’ agreement these thought provoking blogs have been brought together in a series which we will release over the next few weeks.

Introduction

Everyone has a different view on whether our society is good or bad or what they perceive a good society to be. Especially individuals who come from different backgrounds and diverse cultures, people experience different societies, cultures and childhoods which can affect everyone’s versions of what a good society is.

Requirements of a good society

My perception of a good society would be a multicultural and diverse civilisation where crime, racism, misogyny, sexism, ableism and so on is at an all time low or doesn’t exist. I only say an all time low because where people are concerned some kind of deviant behaviour will always exist. I believe a society where men could be able to walk the street without the fear of being assaulted or women could walk the streets without the fear of being sexually assaulted is ideal. Also I believe a good society would have no hierarchy, not to the extreme of communism but in the sense that no one should look down on a job individuals have. No job, car or house is valued more because everyone is trying to improve their quality of life. Everyone no matter what race, ethnicity and gender should have the same amount of respect and in the same sense  if someone commits a crime no matter who they are they should be held with the same accountability. Women should be paid the same as men, when they are completing the same tasks and doing the same job there should be no reason for them to have different pay. Another requirement I believe in is easy access to education for everyone. Growing up in a deprived area I understand the struggles with getting an education and I personally believe that helping with funds for students, creating more schools or helping support parents who would rather homeschool their children should be more accessible. Absence of corruption is also another, for a society to work and be the best it can be there should be no corruption. No one should be able to use their power, money or any form of blackmail to get out of situations they have caused. Society would be so much smoother if corruption never existed, leading to there should be no attentiveness to power. People who do have power should not be able to use it to their advantage, I do not believe in removing power however, there should never be a situation where an individual who values themselves to have more ‘power’ then another should feel they can control another.

Good Society?

It’s extremely hard to define and work out all requirements of a good society as it could be never ending to work out everyone’s belief of what a good society is as well as my own. I believe we can all have our own opinion of what a good society would require or how it would function. But I will leave you with this, I always say a good society would be one where my younger siblings and the next generations can walk the street and I will not have to worry about their safety. When we reach that point I believe that’s what a good society would be.