NCJ Number
63824
Date Published
1978
Length
232 pages
Annotation
FOLLOWING A DISCUSSION OF DOMINANT THEORIES OF CRIMINALITY AND CONSIDERATION OF THE NATURE OF CRIMINOLOGY, THE USES OF CRIMINOLOGY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIME POLICY ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
DOMINANT THEORIES OF DEVIANCY AND DELINQUENCY ARE GROUPED UNDER TWO MODELS--THE CONSENSUAL AND THE CONFLICTUAL MODELS. THE CONSENSUAL MODEL IS VIEWED AS FOCUSING ON THE INDIVIDUAL DEVIANT AND HIS/HER FAILURE TO ABSORB AND BEHAVE ACCORDING TO DOMINANT SOCIOECONOMIC VALUES. THE CONFLICTUAL MODEL VIEWS DEVIANCY AS A CONSTRUCT OF THE POWER GROUPS AND ELITE CLASSES OF A SOCIETY AS THEY LABEL AND CONTROL BEHAVIOR DEEMED THREATENING TO THEIR INTERESTS. FOR COMPARATIVE CRIMINOLOGY TO FUNCTION IN THIS ATMOSPHERE OF IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES, A COMMON DENOMINATOR MUST BE FOUND BY CHOOSING SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION THAT RECOGNIZE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEMS FACING CONTEMPORARY CRIMINOLOGY WITHOUT PREJUDGING ANY POSITION, WITHOUT RULING OUT ANY CONTRIBUTION, AND WITHOUT FAVORING ANY PARTICULAR SCHOOL OF THOUGHT. FURTHER, CRIMINOLOGY MUST STRIVE FOR AN EMPIRICAL, MULTIDISCIPLINARY, SCIENTIFIC APPROACH IN EXAMINING THE BASIC PROCESSES BY WHICH SOCIETIES AND PERSONALITIES ARE FORMED. THIS CAN BE DONE USING HISTORIC AS WELL AS EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION. CRIMINOLOGISTS WOULD THEN BE BETTER PREPARED TO INFLUENCE CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL CONTROL IN PARTICULAR CULTURES. APPLIED CRIMINOLOGY IS DISCUSSED FROM THE STANDPOINT OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITY AND STATE, DEVIANCE AND CRIME IN THE POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY, CRIME IN VARIOUS TYPES OF SOCIETIES, THE POLITICAL CRIMINAL, AND CRIME POLICY IN VARIOUS AREAS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH AN INDEX AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY. (RCB)