NCJ Number
44966
Date Published
1977
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE HYPOTHESIS THAT POLICE ARE LESS ANOMIC THAN CITIZEN GROUPS IS TESTED AND ANALYZED, AND RESULTS ARE EXPLAINED FROM A RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY PERSPECTIVE.
Abstract
TWO INDEPENDENT SAMPLES WERE SELECTED, CONSISTING OF 222 POLICE OFFICERS AND 691 CITIZENS. ALL RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE SROLE'S ANOMIA INDEX, WHICH MEASURES AN INDIVIDUAL'S GENERALIZED, PERVASIVE SENSE OF SOCIAL MALINTEGRATION OR ALIENATION. RESPONDENTS WERE SCORED AND DICHOTOMIZED INTO SUBGROUPINGS OF HIGH AND LOW ANOMICS. THE PERCENTAGE OF POLICE SCORING HIGH WAS MUCH LESS THAN THAT OF CITIZENS (24 PERCENT POLICE, 40 PERCENT CITIZENS). THE DATA WERE THEN ANALYZED, CONTROLLING FOR RACE, (ALTHOUGH THE POLICE WERE ALL WHITE). THE WHITE CITIZENS HAD A GREATER PROPORTION IN THE HIGHLY ANOMIC CATEGORY (43 PERCENT) THAN EITHER POLICE (24 PERCENT) OR NONWHITES (15 PERCENT). THE DATA WERE FURTHER CONTROLLED FOR EDUCATIONAL LEVEL AND RACE, THEN FOR SOCIAL CLASS AND RACE. MIDDLE-CLASS AND EDUCATED WHITES WERE MORE HIGHLY ANOMIC THAN ANY OTHER GROUPS. CONTROLLING FOR RACE, EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL CLASS SIMULTANEOUSLY, IT WAS FOUND THAT EDUCATED, MIDDLE-CLASS WHITES HAD THE MOST HIGH ANOMICS (70 PERCENT) OF ANY OF THE GROUPS. THESE RESULTS WERE ANALYZED FROM A RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY PERSPECTIVE. THE PRIMARY CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE CAPITALISTIC SYSTEM HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ESTABLISHING CONTROL OVER EACH SEGMENT OF ITS POPULATION. NONWHITES APPEAR CONTENT, AS THEY HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED TO ACCEPT THEIR 'STATION IN LIFE.' THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN ABLE TO GENERATE A BELIEF AMONG WHITES THAT THEY NEED TO STRIVE FOR THE REWARDS THAT THE SYSTEM PRODUCES. THUS, THEY APPEAR HIGHLY ANOMIC BECAUSE THEY ARE STRIVING FOR STATUS WITHIN EXISTING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS. BECAUSE THE EXISTING ORDER CAN ONLY STAND A LIMITED AMOUNT OF MOBILITY, ONLY A FEW FROM THE MIDDLE CLASS CAN SUCCEED; THE REMAINDER STRUGGLE UPWARD AND BECOME FRUSTRATED AND ANOMIC. THE SYSTEM IS STILL SUCCESSFUL IN DEFINING THEIR 'STATION IN LIFE,' HOWEVER, AS THEY ARE STRUGGLING TOWARD PRESCRIBED DESIRES. THE POLICE ARE GRANTED SPECIAL STATUS BY THE RULING ELITE: THEY ARE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE LAWS, AND WHEN PERFORMING THEIR SPECIAL FUNCTIONS, THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW. THESE PRIVILEGES OUTWEIGH THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THE DEMANDS PLACED UPON THEM, THEREFORE, THEY BECOME LESS ANOMIC THAN CITIZENS. THE ITEMS IS SROLE'S ANOMIA INDEX ARE REPRODUCED IN AN APPENDIX, AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED.