SOME CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY AND FORECASTS FOR A SOCIETY THAT IS COMING APART (FROM NEW AND THE OLD CRIMINOLOGY, 1978, BY EDITH ELISABETH FLYNN AND JOHN P CONRAD - SEE NCJ-47562)

• NCJ Number: 47565
• Author(s): D C GIBBONS; R K HANCOCK
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Praeger Publishers
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS PAPER EXAMINES THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS UPON MODERN LIBERAL AND RECENT RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY. THE NEED FOR MODIFICATION OF RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY IN A CONFLICT DIRECTION IS EXAMINED.

Abstract

MODERN LIBERAL-CYNICAL CRIMINOLOGY (PREVALENT FROM 1930-1970) IS CONCERNED WITH THE BEHAVIOR OF CRIMINALS RATHER THAN THE CRIMINALITY OF BEHAVIOR. LIBERAL CRIMINOLOGISTS HAVE FORMULATED ARGUMENTS ABOUT BASIC FLAWS IN THE SOCIAL ORDER THAT PRODUCE CRIMINALITY; E.G., DISLOCATIONS DUE TO RAPID SOCIAL CHANGE AND INCREASING URBANIZATION. RADICAL CRIMINOLOG TENDS TO BE MORE EMPHATIC IN STRESSING THE WORKINGS OF RACISM, SEXISM, AND ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION IN CRIMINALITY. RADICAL THEORISTS LINK THESE FACTORS TO THE BASIC CHARACTERISTICS AND THE FUNCTIONAL NEEDS OF CORPORATE CAPITALISM. RADICAL THEORIST ALSO DISCERN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE EXPLOITATION OF THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES' POPULATIONS BY THE UNITED STATES AND MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION AND CRIMINALITY IN THE U.S. THE LIBERAL THEORIST, AS OPPOSED TO THE RADICAL THEORISTS, DOES NOT FOLLOW THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE CRIMINOGENIC FEATURES OF U.S. SOCIETY TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE SOCIETY, AND PARTICULARLY CAPITALISM, MUST BE DRASTICALLY RESTRUCTURED. IT IS MAINTAINED THAT THE RADICAL THEORY OF CRIMINOLOGY, ALTHOUGH MORE CORRECT, DOES NOT STRESS THE IMMEDIATE RESTRUCTURING OF THE SOCIETY OR ELIMINATION OF CORPORATE CAPITALISM IN THE U.S., AND THE THEORY IS, THEREFORE, SOMEWHAT