NCJ Number
57628
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 53-63
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOUND RADICAL THEORY REQUIRES THE RESOLUTION OF THREE BASIC CONFLICTS, PRESENT IN CURRENT RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY, AND CENTERING AROUND MARXIST THEORY.
Abstract
IN RECENT DECADES, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS BECOME THE FOCUS OF A GREAT DEAL OF SKEPTICISM. SO FAR, THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY HAVE BEEN THE PRODUCT OF A NEGATIVE AND PARTISAN SKEPTICISM RATHER THAN SCIENTIFIC SKEPTICISM. ALTHOUGH CLAIMING TO BE A SOUND SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF SOCIETAL PROBLEMS, MARXISM (WHICH IN RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY IS SYNONYMOUS WITH RADICALISM) HAS USUALLY HAD PARTISAN GOALS AS ITS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE. THIS POSITION IS EXEMPLIFIED BY 'THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY' (TAYLOR, WALTON, AND YOUNG, 1973) WHICH ASSERTS THE NEED TO ACHIEVE A MARXIST REVOLUTION. HOWEVER, MARXISTS HAVE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES IN APPLYING MARXISM TO CRIMINOLOGY SINCE MARX WROTE LITTLE ON THE SUBJECT AND HIS THEORY CHANGED FROM HIS EARLY WRITINGS TO HIS LAST WORKS. IN ADDITION, RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY IS AMBIVALENT IN ITS REJECTION OF LIBERAL VALUES, ITS PRESENTATION OF SUBJECTIVISM AS THE EQUIVALENT OF SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS OF CRIMINOLOGICAL ISSUES, AND ITS USE OF MARXIST THEORY. CENTRAL TO THE RESOLUTION OF THESE CONFLICTS IS THE NEED TO RELATE MORE ADEQUATELY THE DEVIANT INDIVIDUAL TO SOCIETY. EVEN THOUGH SOCIETY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO DEVIANCE, RADICAL CRIMINOLOGISTS MUST DEVOTE ATTENTION TO THE ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN BECOMING DEVIANT. REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)