NCJ Number
45428
Journal
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Volume: 434 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1977) Pages: 137-150
Date Published
1977
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE AIM OF THIS PAPER IS TO REVIEW AND REINTERPRET THE CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY BY CLASSIFYING IT ACCORDING TO TWO EXPLANATORY MODELS CALLED THE 'CONSENSUAL' AND 'CONFLICTUAL' MODELS.
Abstract
THE CONSENSUAL MODEL CONSIDERS THE SOCIAL SYSTEM AS A GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF INTERACTIONS STRUCTURED IN A HOMEOSTATIC SYSTEM, WHILE THE CONFLICTUAL MODEL SEES IT AS A SYSTEM OF UNRESOLVABLE CONFLICTS BETWEEN ITS COMPONENT ELEMENTS. METHODOLOGICAL AND THEORETICAL CORRELATES OF THE TWO MODELS ARE OUTLINED, BASED ON THE GENERAL SOCIOLOGICAL LITERATURE; THE RELEVANT RESEARCH ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS SUMMARIZED AND ANALYZED ACCORDING TO ITS TIES OR AFFINITIES TO ONE OR THE OTHER MODEL. STUDIES ON ECOLOGY, SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS, SUBCULTURES, AND SOCIAL REGULATION AND CONTROL ARE INCLUDED IN THE CONSENSUAL MODEL; RESEARCH ON HIDDEN DELINQUENCY AND DARK NUMBERS, ON DEVIANCE AS OPPOSED TO DELINQUENCE, ON EXISTENTIAL CONTEXTS AND MEANINGFUL ACTS AS OPPOSED TO LEGALLY DEFINED CONDUCT ARE INCLUDED IN THE CONFLICTUAL MODEL. FOR BOTH MODELS, THE IMPACT ON SOCIAL POLICY AND PRACTICE IS DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)