NCJ Number
170529
Journal
Criminology Volume: 36 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1998) Pages: 3-36
Date Published
1998
Length
34 pages
Annotation
The criminological issue of the level of explanation is discussed from a historical perspective, with emphasis on its application to the study of juvenile delinquency, juvenile gangs, and youth groups in general.
Abstract
The discussion argues that attention to what has been termed microsocial analysis can aid in bridging traditional macrosocial and individual levels of explanation. It also notes that the use of microsocial analysis in this way requires a conceptualization that recognizes both situational and interactional levels of observation, analysis, and explanation. It notes the influence of the Chicago School of sociological research and its multidisciplinary emphasis. It concludes that macro-level research and field observations in varied settings suggest that similar factors are associated with the emergence and maintenance of gangs and other violence-producing groups and crowds. This research also indicates that different groups share similar but not identical group and collective behavior processes. Recent advances at the individual level of explanation provide important clues regarding heritable, traumatic, developmental conditions and processes associated with violence and other behaviors. A crucial task is to build on and bridge these specialized areas of knowledge and to conduct research that is sensitive to the context of time and social location. Table, figure, footnotes, and 118 references