INFLUENCE OF THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY ON THE STUDY OF CRIME

• NCJ Number: 55452
• Author(s): W V PELFREY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 269 pages
• Grant Number(s): 78-NI-AX-0050
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

USING DATA CULLED FROM A SAMPLE OF ACADEMICIANS IN CRIME-RELATED DISCIPLINES, THIS DISSERTATION ATTEMPTS TO DETERMINE THE POSITION OF MAINSTREAM CRIMINOLOGY IN REFERENCE TO THE 'NEW' CRIMINOLOGY.

Abstract

THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY, AS USED IN THIS STUDY, IS THE TERM WHICH SUBSUMES ALL THE NONTRADITIONAL CRIMINOLOGIES SUCH AS CONFLICT, CRITICAL, RADICAL, AND MARXIAN PERSPECTIVES. EACH OF 761 ACADEMICIANS WAS SENT A QUESTIONNAIRE (INCLUDED) DESIGNED TO MEASURE THE RESPONDENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY AND MANY OF ITS TENETS; 383 COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES WERE RETURNED. SINCE THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY REPRESENTS SO MANY PERSPECTIVES, THE PURPOSE OF MANY PORTIONS OF THE INSTRUMENT WAS TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC PERSPECTIVES WHICH ARE SEEN TO BE THE MOST WORTHWHILE BY THE RESPONDENTS. THE STATEMENTS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE ELEMENTS OF THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY WHICH WERE SELECTED AS APPROPRIATE OR INAPPROPRIATE BY THE RESPONDENTS WERE PREPARED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A PANEL OF EXPERTS, WHO WERE ALSO SAMPLED BY QUESTIONNAIRE (INCLUDED). ANALYSIS OF RESULTING DATA INDICATED THAT ACADEMICIANS WITHIN A CRIME-RELATED DISCIPLINE TEND TO FAVOR THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL CRIMINOLOGY. RESPONDENTS' PREFERRED LABEL FOR THE NEW APPROACH IS 'CONFLICT CRIMINOLOGY'; IT IS NOTED THAT THIS IS THE MOST TRADITIONAL OF THE NEW PERSPECTIVES. THERE WAS A STRONG AGREEMENT AS TO THE POTENTIAL OF NEW CRIMINOLOGY YET THE DATA INDICATE THAT THE PROPOSITIONS OF THE PERSPECTIVE ARE NOT TIGHTLY FORMULATED AND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A DEARTH OF RESEARCH TO TEST IT. SPECIFIC ELEMENTS APPROVED BY ACADEMICIANS INCLUDE THE VIEW THAT THE STATE IS ORGANIZED TO SERVE THE INTERESTS OF THE DOMINANT ECONOMIC CLASS; CRIMINAL JUSTICE DECISIONMAKING IS LOADED HEAVILY WITH CLASS AND STATUS CONSIDERATIONS; LAWMAKING, LAWBREAKING, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT REFLECT THE POLITICAL CONFLICT BETWEEN GROUPS FOR CONTROL OF THE STATE'S POLICE POWER; MEMBERS OF THE RULING CLASS MAY VIOLATE THE LAW WITH IMPUNITY; CRIME IS LARGELY A PRODUCT OF SOCIAL ILLS; SOCIETY ENHANCES CRIME BY MAINTAINING SEGREGATION OF RACE FROM RACE, POOR FROM AFFLUENT, AND DEVIANT FROM CONVENTIONAL; EVERYONE CONFORMS AS WELL AS DEVIATES; AND GETTING CAUGHT BEGINS THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFICATION AS A CRIMINAL. TABULAR DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--KBL)