ABSTRACT
During America’s colonial period, there was a general understanding about significant values and norms because communities were small and composed of close-knit families. Most individuals adhered to the local rules of social order because snooping neighbors and members of the local church and clergy were ever-watchful for any deviance from societal customs. For the few who transgressed and were discovered, various shaming rituals were used to encourage conformity to societal rules (Walker 1998). Moreover, newly arrived families to New England were headed by men whose authority was reinforced by the divinely ordained hierarchy in which they believed (Norton 1996, 13). This earlier form of “morality policing” has given way to today’s more formal and complicated system of social controls involving an array of institutions beyond the family, clergy, and curious neighbors. The most visible of these newer social institutions consist of the components of the criminal justice system, especially the uniformed members of local police agencies and the nearly 50,000 security officers employed by the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The TSA workforce was recruited to help protect America’s transportation infrastructure from terrorist attacks and to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce (TSA 2014).
