NCJ Number
40089
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1977) Pages: 16-29
Date Published
1977
Length
14 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A STUDY OF SEVERAL BRITISH EX-OFFENDERS UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SOCIAL CLOSENESS OR DISTANCE OF INMATES' ACQUAINTANCES AND THEIR ACCEPTANCE OR STIGMATIZATION OF THE INMATE.
Abstract
A BASIC ASSUMPTION OF THE LABELING THEORY IS THAT VARIOUS 'CONVENTIONAL OTHERS' ATTACH A STIGMA TO THE PERSON WHOSE BEHAVIOR IS IN QUESTION, SO THAT HE IS DISQUALIFIED FROM FULL SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE. THIS TYPE OF STIGMATIZATION MAY OCCUR IN VARYING DEGREES, DEPENDING ON THE RELATION OF THE OFFENDER AND THE 'CONVENTIONAL OTHER.' IT HAS BEEN POSTULATED, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT PERSONS CLOSE TO THE OFFENDER WILL BE LESS STIGMATIZING THAN SOCIALLY DISTANT ACQUAINTANCES. THE AUTHOR FIRST EXAMINES THE WAY IN WHICH THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL DISTANCE AND SOCIAL REACTION TO CRIMINALITY HAS BEEN TREATED IN THE LITERATURE. THIS LITERATURE IS THEN EXAMINED IN THE LIGHT OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE GATHERED BY THE AUTHOR ON A SAMPLE OF 15 INMATES WHO WERE INCARCERATED FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SUBSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCED THE REACTIONS OF VARIOUS OTHERS UPON RETURN TO THEIR HOME COMMUNITIES. THE OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE MORE SOCIALLY DISTANT A PERSON IS, THE GREATER THE LIKELIHOOD THAT HE WILL TREAT THE EX-INMATE AS FUNDAMENTALLY STIGMATIZED.