NCJ Number
58239
Date Published
1979
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE RECENT TREND IN SOCIOLOGICAL THOUGHT BASED ON A VOLUNTARISTIC, INTERPRETATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ORIENTATION IS DISCUSSED, PARTICULARLY AS RELATED TO INTERPRETATIONS OF DEVIANCE.
Abstract
FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS, THE TREND HAS BEEN FOR THE DOMINANT MODEL OF SOCIOLOGICAL THOUGHT, STRUCTURED BY EXPLANATORY AND QUANTITATIVELY RESEARCHED ASSUMPTIONS, TO GIVE WAY TO ATTACKS BY SOME SOCIOLOGISTS WHO SUPPORT A MORE VOLUNTARISTIC, QUALITATIVE APPROACH. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS LATTER APPROACH, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO CRIMINOLOGY, LIES IN THE RELATION OF THEORY AND PRACTICE OR PRAXIS. THE NEW APPROACH SUPPORTS THE VIEW THAT THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS THAT MATTER ARE ALREADY KNOWN EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SPECIFY WHAT THESE ANSWERS ARE IN ADVANCE OF THEIR ACTUALIZATION. THESE AXIOMS SERVE TO CONSTRAIN RATHER THAN LIBERATE BECAUSE THEY COMMIT THEIR SUPPORTERS TO PRECEPTS AND PURPOSES WHICH ARE INHERENTLY SELF-CONFORMING AND THEIR WORK SEEMS TO PRESENT INSURMOUNTABLE DIFFICULTIES TO SOCIOLOGISTS WHO MAY OTHERWISE BE IN SYMPATHY WITH THEIR AIMS. THIS BELIEF IN THE INEVITABILITY OF SOCIALISM ENABLES RADICALS TO POSTPONE INDEFINITELY THE NEED TO EXAMINE HOW TO ACHIEVE THE SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE TO THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM. PRAXIS BECOMES A MEANS FOR SUSPENDING AWKWARD THEORETICAL ISSUES AND STUBBORN HISTORICAL CONTRAINTS. REFERENCE NOTES ARE INCLUDED. SEE NCJ-58238. (LWM)