SANCTION FEAR AND THE MAINTENANCE OF SOCIAL ORDER

• NCJ Number: 40953
• Journal: Social Forces Volume: 55 Issue: 3 Dated: (MARCH 1977) Pages: 579-596
• Author(s): C R TITTLE
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: University of North Carolina Press
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

EIGHT INDEPENDENT VARIABLES SUGGESTED BY EXTANT THEORIES OF DEVIANCE/CONFORMITY ARE COMPARED ON THEIR ABILITY TO PREDICT INDEPENDENTLY NINE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SELF ESTIMATED FUTURE DEVIANCE.

Abstract

DATA WERE GATHERED IN A SAMPLE SURVEY OF THE POPULATIONS AGED 15 AND OVER IN NEW JERSEY, IOWA, AND OREGON. THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE VIEW THAT AT LEAST SOME KINDS OF SANCTION FEAR ARE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO CONFORMITY. FEAR OF INTERPERSONAL LACK OF RESPECT WAS FOUND TO BE THE SECOND BEST PREDICTOR OF THE EIGHT CONSIDERED. THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE REINFORCEMENT VALUE OF A BEHAVIOR, THE PROBABILITY OF LOSING RESPECT AMONG THOSE ONE KNOWS PERSONALLY, MORAL COMMITMENTS, AND DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION ARE THE PRIMARY DETERMINANTS OF CONFORMITY. THE RESULTS UNDERLINE THE NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE MULTIPLE-VARIABLE THEORY WHICH CAN SPECIFY VARIED CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH CONFORMITY TO DEVIANCE FROM DIFFERENT KINDS OF NORMS CAN BE EXPECTED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...MSP