NCJ Number
55055
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1977) Pages: 57-72
Date Published
1977
Length
15 pages
Annotation
INFORMATION WAS SOUGHT TO COMPARE THE NUMBER OF COURSES TAUGHT ON COMPARATIVE AND WORLD CRIMINOLOGY, COURSE CONTENT, AND THE TEACHING METHODS AND REFERENCES USED IN SOCIOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS.
Abstract
DEPARTMENTS CONTACTED BY QUESTIONNAIRE WERE LISTED IN THE '1974 GUIDE TO GRADUATE DEPARTMENTS OF SOCIOLOGY' AND THE 'LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION DIRECTORY, 1975-76.' OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES SENT TO 159 SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENTS AND 83 CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS WITH GRADUATE PROGRAMS, USABLE RETURNS WERE RECEIVED FROM A TOTAL OF 127 DEPARTMENTS (79 SOCIOLOGY AND 49 CRIMINAL JUSTICE). INFORMATION WAS SOUGHT ON THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS WITH COMPARATIVE OR WORLD CRIMINOLOGY COURSES, COURSE OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT, CRIMINAL JUSTICE COURSES, WORLD STUDY TOURS, ONE-TIME OFFERINGS, SOCIOLOGY COURSES, TEACHING METHODS USED, AND TEXTBOOKS AND REFERENCE MATERIALS EMPLOYED. COMPARATIVE OR WORLD CRIMINOLOGY DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A HIGH PRIORITY IN ALL SOCIOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS. A LIMITED NUMBER OF FACULTY MEMBERS WAS A FACTOR IN PLACING THE WORLD FIELD AT A LOW LEVEL OF PRIORITY. NEW CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS GAVE MORE ATTENTION TO THE FIELD OF COMPARATIVE AND WORLD CRIMINOLOGY THAN SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENTS. WHILE SOME CALLED FOR A RETURN TO A PURELY SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO COMPARATIVE CRIMINOLOGY, THE NEW INTERDISCIPLINARY AND EXPERIENTIAL FACULTY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS CALLED FOR A BROADENING OF THE PERSPECTIVE OF CRIMINOLOGY, TO INCLUDE MODELS FOR LEADERSHIP AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. THREE RECOMMENDATIONS TO FURTHER THE STUDY OF COMPARATIVE AND WORLD CRIMINOLOGY ARE MADE: (1) AN INTERDISCIPLINARY GROUP OF SCHOLARS SHOULD BE ORGANIZED; (2) THIS GROUP OF SCHOLARS SHOULD ACT AS A TASK FORCE TO CARRY OUT SUCH OBJECTIVES AS A FOLLOWUP OF THE SURVEY DESCRIBED IN THE ARTICLE, AN IDENTIFICATION OF THE CONTENT OF COURSES, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FOR TEACHING AND RESEARCH IN COMPARATIVE AND WORLD CRIMINOLOGY; AND (3) THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY SHOULD APPOINT A TASK FORCE ON WORLD CRIMINOLOGY. TEXTBOOKS AND REFERENCE MATERIALS USED IN SOCIOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS ARE CITED. REFERENCES ARE LISTED. (DEP)