NCJ Number
60235
Journal
Deviance et societe Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1977) Pages: 411-426
Date Published
1977
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS OF A PILOT STUDY CONCERNING PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN QUEBEC ARE ANALYZED AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSCULTURAL RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
RATHER THAN ADAPTING A READY-MADE FRANCE-DEVELOPED QUESTIONNAIRE, THE QUEBEC PROJECT USED AN INDEPENDENT PILOT STUDY ON THE OPINIONS OF 60 QUEBEC CITIZENS CONCERNING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO EXPLORE THE RANGE AND TYPE OF ATTITUDES. THE INFORMATION SERVED AS THE BASIS FOR THE QUESTIONNAIRE OF A LARGE-SCALE STATISTICAL STUDY. WHEN THE RESULTS OF THE QUEBEC PILOT STUDY WERE COMPARED TO THOSE OF THE FRENCH PROJECT, SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND. FOR INSTANCE, ONE TYPE OF ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WHICH WAS REVEALED IN THE QUEBEC STUDY DID NOT EVEN EXIST IN FRANCE. ALSO, ATTITUDES TOWARDS POLITICAL INFLUENCES ON THE COURTS DIFFERED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE TWO COUNTRIES. IF THE STUDY HAD SIMPLY TAKEN OVER THE FRENCH QUESTIONNAIRE, THE EXPERIMENTAL APPARATUS WOULD HAVE BEEN INACCURATE AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, IRRELEVANT. THE IMPLICATIONS FOR TRANSCULTURAL STUDY RESEACH ARE OBVIOUS: A UNIFORM STANDARDIZED RESEARCH APPARATUS WHICH IS ADAPTED TO THE SPECIFIC CULTURAL CONDITIONS OF THE COUNTRIES UNDER (AS IS FREQUENTLY USED) IS INADEQUATE SINCE IT A PRIORI IGNORES THE QUESTIONABLE COMPARABILITY OF THE FACTS OBTAINED. ONLY A DETAILED AND INDEPENDENT PILOT STUDY IN EACH COUNTRY CAN ANSWER THAT CRUCIAL QUESTION. THE ARTICLE PROVIDES FOOTNOTES. --IN FRENCH. (SAJ)