NCJ Number
60741
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1979) Pages: 41-54
Date Published
1979
Length
14 pages
Annotation
DRAWING ON THE THEORETICAL WRITINGS OF STOLL, ERICKSON AND FRIEDSO, THIS REPORT EXAMINES HOW IMAGES OF MAN AND IDEOLOGIES OF DEVIANCE INFLUENCE THE WAYS INDIVIDUALS RESPOND TO DEVIANT ACTS AND DEVIANT ACTORS.
Abstract
DATA WERE DERIVED FROM TWO SOURCES, A FIELD EXPERIMENT AND FOLLOWUP INTERVIEWS. THE FIELD EXPERIMENT CONSISTED OF RIGGED SHOPLIFTING INCIDENTS IN WHICH APPEARANCE (HIPPIE VS. STRAIGHT) AND SEX OF SHOPLIFTER WERE MANIPULATED. SEX OF SUBJECT WAS ALSO VARIED ACROSS EXPERIMENTAL EVENTS. INTERVIEW DATA WERE COLLECTED IN POST-EXPERIMENTAL AND HOME INTERVIEWS. A TOTAL OF 191 SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN THE FIELD EXPERIMENT, AND 135 WERE INTERVIEWED IN THEIR HOMES 2 MONTHS AFTER THE EXPERIMENT. THE HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT TWO BELIEF SYSTEMS COME INTO PLAY IN REACTIONS TO SHOPLIFTING. ONE DEALS WITH PERSONS ASSUMED TO BE HIPPIES, THE OTHER WITH PERSONS COMMITTING CRIMINAL ACTS. WHEN HIPPIES AND STRAIGHTS ENGAGE IN SIMILAR CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS, THE INTERPRETATION OF THESE BEHAVIORS DIFFER. SINCE HIPPIES ARE LIKELY TO BE VIEWED AS BASICALLY UNSTABLE AND MARGINAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THE SOCIAL SYSTEM, SANCTIONING IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN THEY DEVIATE. RESULTS SHOWED THAT CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ENGAGED IN BY A HIPPIE IS LIKELY TO BE JUDGED AS MORE SERIOUS AND MORE LIKELY TO RECUR WHEREAS THAN SIMILAR BEHAVIOR BY A STRAIGHT PERSON. STRAIGHT PERSONS ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE SANCTIONED. RESEARCH NEEDS TO EXAMINE HOW SPECIFIC OCCUPATIONAL ROLES PROVIDE IMAGES OF DEVIANCE, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE EXTENT TO WHICH VARIOUS SOCIAL CONTROL AGENTS VARY IN THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF THE FUTURE BEHAVIOR IMAGE OF DEVIANTS. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)