CONCEPTS OF TOLERANCE AND CONTRACULTURE AS APPLIED TO DELINQUENCY (FROM CRIME AND DELINQUENCY, A READER, 1970 BY CARL A. BERSANI - SEE NCJ-06248)

• NCJ Number: 10192
• Author(s): R S CAVAN
• Date Published: 1970
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Macmillan
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM THE SOCIOLOGICAL QUARTERLY, V 2 (1961), P 243-258

Annotation

AN ATTEMPT TO ASSIGN MISBEHAVIOR TO A PLACE IN THE TOTAL SOCIAL STRUCTURE, AND TO DETERMINE WHEN SUCH MISBEHAVIOR SHOULD BE TERMED DELINQUENCY.

Abstract

THIS PAPER HAS ATTEMPTED TO STATE A HYPOTHESIS WHEREBY BEHAVIOR MAY BE PLACED IN A CONTINUUM RUNNING FROM AN UNDERCONFORMING CONTRACULTURE THROUGH VARIOUS DEGREES OF DISAPPROVED BEHAVIOR TO NORMAL CONFORMITY AND THEN THROUGH STAGES OF OVERCONFORMING BEHAVIOR TO AN OVERCONFORMING CONTRACULTURE. THE REACTION OF THE NORMALLY CONFORMING SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION TO DEVIATIONS VARIES IN SEVERITY ACCORDING TO THE THREAT POSED TO THE SOCIAL NORMS BY EITHER UNDER- OR OVERCONFORMITY. MINOR DEVIANTS USUALLY ARE DRAWN BACK INTO CONFORMITY. SERIOUS DEVIANTS OFTEN ARE TREATED SO SEVERELY THAT THEY ARE ALIENATED AND WITHDRAW INTO A CONTRACULTURE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)