NCJ Number
58238
Editor(s)
D DOWNES,
P ROCK
Date Published
1979
Length
184 pages
Annotation
THIS ANTHOLOGY OF THEORETICAL ESSAYS, DEALING WITH INTERPRETATIONS OF DEVIANCY, AMPLIFIES ARGUMENTS OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANCE THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED OVER BY MAJOR TRENDS IN CRIMINOLOGY.
Abstract
THE THEMES INCLUDE THE LIMITATIONS OF ACCORDING TOO CENTRAL A ROLE TO PRAXIS IN CRIMINOLOGY; THE DANGERS OF PRESUMING TO DEMYSTIFY DEVIANCY; THE PITFALLS OF THE SEARCH FOR TOTAL EXPLANATIONS OF DEVIANCE; THE RISE AND FALL OF LABELING THEORY; THE MUCH-INVOKED BUT LARGELY UNEXPLORED ISSUE OF DETERMINISM AND ITS ALTERNATIVES; AND THE DIFFICULTIES TO BE SURMOUNTED IN ATTRIBUTING MOTIVE AND MEANING TO DEVIANT SUBJECTS. THE SPECIAL FEATURES OF CRIME, DELINQUENCY, DEVIANCE, AND CONTROL--THE INHERENT ATTRIBUTES OF DEVIOUSNESS, COVERT PRACTICES, THE DEPARTURE OF MUCH DEVIANT BEHAVIOR (AND CONTROL) FROM THE CANONS OF 'RATIONALITY'--HAVE LED THEORISTS TO DRAW MORE HEAVILY ON CERTAIN TRADITIONS, OR ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THOSE TRADITIONS, THAN ON OTHERS. THUS, BOTH SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM, THOUGHT TO YIELD MORE SYSTEMATIC GLIMPSES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, AND THE MAXIST THEORY OF DEVIANCY WITH ITS APPARENT CAPACITY TO 'DECODE' DEVIANT PHENOMENA AS RESPONSES TO THE 'NORMALIZED REPRESSION' OF MODERN CAPITALISM, HAVE BECOME POPULAR. PROBLEMS IN THESE TWO THEORIES ARE ADDRESSED IN VIEW OF TRADITIONAL CONCEPTS OF GUILT, JUSTICE, AND TOLERANCE, STAGES IN THE COURSE OF CRIMINOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, AND POLITICAL COMMITMENT (OR THE LACK OF IT) ON THE PART OF OFFENDERS. THE LABELING THEORY IS REVIEWED AND CRITICISM OF IT ATTRIBUTED LARGELY TO MISUNDERSTANDING. FINALLY THE VOCABULARIES, RHETORIC, AND GRAMMAR OF MOTIVE USED TO JUSTIFY CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ARE ADDRESSED AS THEY EFFECT CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. REFERENCES ACCOMPANY INDIVIDUAL SELECTIONS AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)