SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY LINKAGES IN SOCIALIZATION - AVENUES OF ALIENATION (FROM THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SCHOOL CRIME, V 1, 1978 - SEE NJC-58773)

• NCJ Number: 58795
• Author(s): J SCHERER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 49 pages
• Corporate Author: Sri Lanka Prison Headquarters
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A SOCIAL NETWORK MODEL DESCRIBING LINKAGES BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND SOCIALIZATION ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY IS DEVELOPED.

Abstract

THE SOCIAL NETWORK BORROWS FROM COMMUNITY STUDIES, INTERORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSES, AND COMMUNICATIONS THEORY, ADOPTING AN ECLECTIC APPROACH THAT ENCOMPASSES MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT SYSTEMS, ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MODEL IS THAT IT FOCUSES ON LINKAGES AMONG THE COMPONENTS OF A COMMUNITY'S SOCIALIZATION SYSTEM. PART OF THE MODEL'S VALUE LIES IN ITS ABILITY TO GENERATE STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING LINKAGES THAT CLOSE PATHWAYS TO DELINQUENCY AND CRIME. THE SCHOOL'S SOCIAL NETWORK CONSISTS OF ITS DOMAIN (FORMAL, LEGITIMATE SOCIALIZATION AGENCY FOR ALL YOUTHS UNDER 16); ITS FORMAL LINKAGES, LINKAGE ROLES, AND LINKAGE MECHANISMS; AND ITS INFORMAL LINKAGES AND LINKAGE MECHANISMS. THE SCHOOL SOCIAL NETWORK IS CHARACTERIZED BY FREQUENCY OF CONTACTS; FORMAL TIES AMONG STAFF, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS; INFORMAL TIES AMONG STUDENTS AND PEERS (AND SOMETIMES BETWEEN STUDENTS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL); INFREQUENT TIES TO OTHER SOCIALIZATION ORGANIZATIONS (GENERALLY WITH THE SCHOOL CONTROLLING THE EXCHANGE); EXTERNALLY DURABLE TIES WITH CLIENTS FROM AGE 5 ON, WITHIN A CATCHMENT AREA; INTENSITY OF CONTACTS, PARTICULARLY WITH UPPERAND MIDDLE-CLASS STUDENTS INVOLVED IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES; AND LIMITED OUTREACH (EFFORTS TO INCREASE LINKAGES). NETWORK ANALYSIS SUGGESTS SOME STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING SOCIALIZATION BY IMPROVING ORGANIZATIONAL TIES (INCREASING THE NUMBER OF TIES, USING DIFFERENT CHANNELS FOR CONTACT, RECOGNIZING SHARED ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE SOCIALIZATION NETWORK, EXTENDING THE RANGE OF THE NETWORK, REDUCING NEGATIVE LINKAGES, ETC.). BECAUSE OF ITS POWERFUL DOMAIN POSITION, THE SCHOOL IS THE NATURAL CENTER OF ANY SOCIALIZATION NETWORK. A NETWORK APPROACH TO DEVELOPING CHANGE STRATEGIES MAY SEEM LESS THREATENING THAN OTHER APPROACHES BECAUSE IT DOES NOT REQUIRE DRASTIC OR IMMEDIATE REDEFINITION OF ORGANIZATIONAL DOMAINS. OTHER BENEFITS OF NETWORK ANALYSIS ARE DISCUSSED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS PROVIDED. (LKM)