NCJ Number
65196
Journal
CRIME ET/AND JUSTICE Volume: 7/8 Issue: 1 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1979/1980) Pages: 22-31
Date Published
1980
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS OF A FIELD STUDY CONDUCTED IN 1974 WITH REGARD TO CULTURAL CONFLICT AND SOCIAL CONTROL ARE REPORTED.
Abstract
IN 1976, THE ISLAND OF FORT GEORGES (NEW QUEBEC) WAS INHABITED BY 1,754 INDIANS AND 246 EUROCANADIANS. THE FIELD STUDY WAS INTENDED TO YIELD AN OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THREE CRIME-RELATED FACTORS IN FORT GEORGES: 1) TRADITIONAL MECHANISMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL, 2) NATURE OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN INDIAN AND EUROPEAN CULTURE, AND 3) IMPACT OF OFFICIAL SOCIAL CONTROL MECHANISMS ON THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEM. THE RESULTS WERE OBTAINED BY OBSERVING TRIBAL CUSTOMS AND THROUGH A SERIES OF INFORMAL, SEMIDIRECTIVE/NONDIRECTIVE INTERVIEWS WITH NATIVES, NATIVE COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND WHITES. RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE TRADITIONAL SOCIAL CONTROL SYSTEM BASED ON THE UNQUESTIONED AUTHORITY OF THE ELDERS AND THE SHARING OF ALL GOODS WAS REPLACED BY THE EXPLOITATION OF THE INDIANS BY THE WHITE MINORITY AND BY THE INTRODUCTION OF A 'WHITE' POLICE SYSTEM. PREJUDICES AND RACIAL STEREOTYPING ON THE PART OF THE TWO WHITE POLICEMEN RENDERED INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION DIFFICULT. THE OFFICERS ALSO OVERLOOKED LEGAL TRANSGRESSIONS (DRUG OFFENSES) BY THE WHITE POPULATION WHILE STRICTLY ENFORCING THE LAW AGAINST NATIVES. CONSEQUENTLY, 95 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE POLICE WERE NATIVES. THE INDIAN SENSE OF ALIENATION AND FRUSTRATION FINDS EXPRESSION IN A STAGGERING RATE OF VANDALISM, HIGH ALCOHOLISM, AND GROWING NUMBER OF BURGLARIES. SINCE 1970, THE NATIVE POPULATION HAS GIVEN UP ITS TRADITIONAL RESIGNATION TO THE WHITES AND HAS STRIVEN TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN POWER STRUCTURE. THE ARTICLE INCLUDES 12 REFERENCES. --IN FRENCH. (SAJ)