NCJ Number
53670
Date Published
1978
Length
358 pages
Annotation
USING CENTRAL CITY AND SUBURBAN DATA, THIS TEXT EXAMINES JUVENILE DELINQUENCY FROM A PARADIGMATIC PERSPECTIVE, WITH ATTENTION TO THE VIEWPOINTS OF MINORITY GROUPS.
Abstract
DEFINING PARADIGM AS A FUNDAMENTAL IMAGE OF A SUBJECT MATTER WITHIN A SCIENCE--AN IMAGE WHICH SERVES TO DEFINE WHAT SHOULD BE STUDIED, WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ASKED, AND WHAT RULES SHOULD BE FOLLOWED IN INTERPRETING THE ANSWERS--THE TEXT APPROACHES THE PROBLEMS OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY THROUGH THREE SEPARATE PARADIGMS. THE FIRST, THE 'SOCIAL FACTS PARADIGM,' IS COMPOSED OF CONFLICT AND STRUCTURALISM-FUNCTIONALISM THEORIES AND IS USED TO ILLUSTRATE THE SUPPOSED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DELINQUENCY AND METROPOLITAN AREAS, THE FAMILY, THE SCHOOL, AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE 'SOCIAL DEFINITION PARADIGM' IS COMPOSED OF THEORIES OF ACTION, SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM, AND PHENOMENOLOGY AND IS APPLIED TO A SINGLE CONCERN--PEER RELATIONS AND SOCIAL DEVIANCE. THE FINAL PARADIGM, THE 'SOCIAL BEHAVIOR PARADIGM,' CONSISTS OF EXCHANGE AND BEHAVIOR SOCIOLOGY THEORIES AND IS ALSO APPLIED TO A SINGLE ISSUE--THE PERSONALITY PATTERNS OF DELINQUENTS. SOME TABLES AND GRAPHS ARE PRESENTED ALONG WITH REFERENCES AND AN INDEX. (KBL)