NCJ Number
53859
Journal
ARVICH FUER KRIMINOLOGIE Volume: 159 Issue: 1-2 Dated: (JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1977) Pages: 1-16
Date Published
1977
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF CRIME IS DISCUSSED ALONG WITH THE APPLICATION OF THE LABELING THEORY TO THE EXPLANATION OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
A MODERN TREND IN SOCIOLOGY TOWARD ABSTRACTIONS BASED ON FICTIONS RATHER THAN EMPIRICAL FACTS CAN BE OBSERVED. AS THE HISTORY OF EUROPEAN SOCIOLOGY IS TRACED FROM THE 19TH CENTURY, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON HEGEL'S DIALECTIC AND MARX' INTERPRETATION OF HEGEL. MODERN AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES TEND TO EXPLAIN EXISTING THESES WITH LOGICAL PROOFS (IF ... THEN) WITHOUT GETTING TO BASIC CAUSES. CONCEPTS SUCH AS 'BEHAVIOR PATTERNS' OR 'CLASS' WHICH FORM THE BASIS FOR THEORIES ARE INADEQUATE BECAUSE THEY ARE DESCRIPTIVE AND OFTEN GLOSS OVER SIGNIFICANT DIMENSIONS LIKE SITUATION DYNAMICS AND CHANGE. RESEARCHERS USING THIS APPROACH ALSO EMPLOY METHODS OF LIMITED EMPIRICAL ACCURACY; E.G., DEPENDENCE ON QUESTIONNAIRES OR OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS ALONE, INADEQUATE SAMPLES, NONREPRESENTATIVE SELECTED CASES, OR CASES NOT DIFFERENTITATED ACCORDING TO OFFENDERS OR CRIME CATEGORIES. LABELING THEORY GOES A STEP FURTHER IN ACCOUNTING FOR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR: THE CAUSE LIES NOT WITHIN THE CRIMINAL, BUT IS THE RESULT OF INSTITUTIONAL LABELING FROM OUTSIDE (I.E., OF A STIGMATIZATION OR SELF-STIGMATIZATION PROCESS). SUCH AN APPROACH DOES NOT REVEAL MOTIVES FOR CRIMES WHICH MIGHT HELP JUDGES REACH DECISIONS IN COURT AND DOES NOT CONSIDER THE VARIOUS FACTORS AT WORK AND THE INDIVIDUAL'S ROLE IN CRIME. GROWTH OF THE LABELING THEORY IN THE UNITED STATES IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE CONFLICTS OF NORMS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE MIXING OF CULTURAL TRADITIONS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. BUT IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE THEORY CANNOT BE APPLIED FORENSICALLY EVEN IN AMERICA AND THAT MIDDLE EUROPEANS REQUIRE A MORE ABSOLUTE CONCEPT OF CRIME. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. --IN GERMAN (KMD)