In the Summer of 2010, a Deepwater Oil Rig Suffered

question 36

Essay

In the summer of 2010, a deepwater oil rig suffered a major malfunction and began to spew thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill devastated the Gulf's economy, killing wildlife, covering beaches with oil and sludge, and making fishing in the waters hazardous. Investigators discovered that there was possible negligence on behalf of the oil company who owned the rig. What type of crime was this? As a sociologist, what kind of policy changes (at the micro, meso, and macro levels) would you suggest in order to prevent this crime from happening again? Which sociological theories support your suggestions?

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Definitions:

Sample Size

The number of observations or individuals in a subset of a population used for statistical analysis.

Random Sample

A subset of individuals chosen from a larger set, where each individual has an equal chance of being selected.

Five Number Summary

A descriptive statistic that provides information about a dataset through its minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum.

Summarization

The act of condensing information into a more compact form, retaining key elements.