NCJ Number
37976
Editor(s)
J F SHORT
Date Published
1976
Length
334 pages
Annotation
THIS COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL ARTICLES WAS PREPARED AS A TRIBUTE TO CRIMINOLOGIST HENRY D MCKAY AND TO REASSESS THE 'SHAW AND MCKAY TRADITION' - THE INFLUENTIAL WORK OF MCKAY AND CLIFFORD R SHAW.
Abstract
IN THE FIRST PART HAROLD FINESTONE TRACES THE EVOLUTION OF THE THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES WITH WHICH SHAW AND MCKAY APPROACHED THEIR DATA AND WHICH, IN TURN, GUIDED THEIR EMPIRICAL INQUIRIES. THE NEED FOR GREATER INSIGHT INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUNG PEOPLE AND SOCIETY IS HIGHLIGHTED BY WILLIAM SIMON, JOSEPH E PUNTIL, AND EMIL PELUSO. ALBERT J REISS, JR, PRESENTS A SEARCHING INQUIRY INTO CONCLUSIONS REACHED BY SHAW AND MCKAY REGARDING DELINQUENCY IN LOWER-INCOME STATUS GROUPS. RECENT STUDIES OF GANGS HAVE CONFIRMED THE 'VERSATILE ACTIVITY REPERTOIRE' OF MOST YOUTH GANGS AND THEIR SHIFTING ORGANIZATION AND BEHAVIORAL CHARACTER IN RESPONSE TO EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL FORCES. IN PART II, WALTER MILLER AND JAMES SHORT FOCUS ON FORCES OF CHANGE EXTERNAL TO GANGS WHICH ARE RELATED TO GANG ADAPTATIONS AND STABILITY. CHAPTERS IN PART III APPLY THE WORK OF SHAW AND MCKAY TO TWO AFRICAN COUNTRIES, GHANA AND UGANDA. S KIRSON WEINBERG COMPARES FACTORS RELATED TO DELINQUENCY IN ACCRA, A COSMOPOLITAN METROPOLIS IN GHANA, WITH FINDINGS REPORTED IN THE EARLY SHAW AND MCKAY STUDIES AND IN MORE RECENT STUDIES IN THIS COUNTRY. MARSHALL B CLINARD AND DANIEL J ABBOTT COMPARE TWO SLUM COMMUNITIES IN KAMPALA, UGANDA - ONE WITH AN EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH CRIME RATE, THE OTHER WITH A LOW RATE. THE FINAL SECTION OF THE BOOK ADDRESSES THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RESEARCH, THEORY, AND SOCIAL POLICIES DESIGNED TO CONTROL CRIME AND DELINQUENCY. DONALD R CRESSEY APPLIES THE 'DELINQUENCY AREA' NOTION TO THE PROBLEM OF CORPORATE CRIME. CHAPTERS BY SOLOMON KOBRIN, DANIEL GLASER, AND MARVIN WOLFGANG FOCUS ON IDEAS AND PROGRAMS ORIENTED TOWARD JUVENILE DELINQUENTS. THE BOOK CLOSES WITH HANS MATTICK'S STINGING INDICTMENT OF THE ENTIRE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AS ARBITRARY, DISCRIMINATORY, AND INEFFECTIVE, IN LAW AND IN PRACTICE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)