1) The Uniform Crime Report (UCR). Chapter 7 (Deviance, Crime, and Social Control) describes several ways in which the Uniform Crime Report may present an inaccurate picture of the demographics of crime. Describe the sources of bias that lead to these inaccuracies. Are these biases better explained by conflict theory or functionalism? Justify your answer. Be sure to also consult the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) website, as well as the National Crime Victimization Report (NCVR) website during this process. Then, consider how this connects to Robert Merton’s idea that labeling can bring about self-fulfilling prophecies; that inaccurate beliefs, if repeated loudly and frequently enough, can become true.
