NCJ Number
55059
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (FALL 1977) Pages: 111-121
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CAUSATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER SOCIETIES IS COMPARED, AND PERTINENT PSYCHOCULTURAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC PROCESSES OF ADOLESCENT ENCULTURATION AND DELINQUENCY ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
JUVENILE PROBLEMS REPRESENT A SERIOUS FORM OF DEVIANCE, SINCE THEY ARE THE FORERUNNERS OF SERIOUS ADULT DEVIANCE (CRIME AND MENTAL ILLNESS). WHILE JUVENILE DELINQUENCY CAN BE REDUCED, IT CANNOT BE ERADICATED TOTALLY. CULTURAL CLASSIFICATIONS ARE RELATED TO THE EXTENT OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, AND THREE CLASSIFICATIONS ARE NOTED: (1) ISOLATED HOMOGENEOUS FOLK CULTURES; (2) ENDURING HOMOGENEOUS SUBCULTURES SITUATED WITHIN THE LARGER HETEROGENEOUS ENVIRONMENT; AND (3) THE LARGER HETEROGENEOUS DOMINANT MASS SOCIETY. THE MOST COMMON CULTURAL GROUPS ARE PROBABLY THE ENDURING HOMOGENEOUS SUBCULTURES WITHIN THER LARGER HETEROGENEOUS SOCIETY. DIVERGENCE BETWEEN THIS SUBCULTURE AND THE LARGER DOMINANT CULTURE IS VIEWED AS A MAJOR SOURCE OF CULTURAL CONFLICT THAT SUBSEQUENTLY CONSTITUTES A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN MEMBERS OF CULTURAL GROUPS AND SOCIETY IS DEMONSTRATED IN AN EXAMPLE INVOLVING A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO AVERT FORMAL LEGAL ACTON FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS. MANY CULTURES OFFER A CLEAR TRANSITION FROM CHILDHOOD DEPENDENCY TO MATURE ADULTHOOD. IN U.S. SOCIETY, THIS TRANSTITION SPANS A PERIOD OF TIME CALLED ADOLESCENCE. DUE TO INTERPLAY BETWEEN AMBIGUOUS NORMATIVE EXPECTATIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS, THERE IS A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF PSYCHOCULTURAL MARGINALITY IN THE DELINQUENT POPULATION. THIS SITUATION SEEMS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN HETEROGENEOUS COMPETITIVE SOCIETIES THAN IN HOMOGENEOUS FOLK CULTURES. SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ANOMIC SITUATIONS IS GREATEST DURING CRITICAL PASSAGES OF LIFE STAGES, SUCH AS OCCUR WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL PASSES FROM CHILDHOOD DEPENDENCY TO AUTONOMOUS ADULTHOOD. THE U.S. SOCIETY IS COMPARED TO FOUR FOLK SOCIETIES (NUER, HOPI, KERAKI INDIANS IN NEW GUINEA, AND THE ARUNTA CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA). A PARADIGM ILLUSTRATING VARYING SOCIAL ADAPTATIONS, INCLUDING CONFORMITY, INNOVATION, RITUALISM, RETREATISM, AND REBELLION, IS PRESENTED. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)