TOWARD A NEW APPROACH TO CRIMINOLOGY (FROM STIGMATIZATION AND DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, P 241-255, 1973, BY ROSA DEL OLMO - SEE NCJ-69037)

• NCJ Number: 69043
• Author(s): J M HENSLIN
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: Universidad Del Zulia
• Sale Source: Universidad Del Zulia
• Language: Spanish
• Country: Venezuela
• Note: CRIMINOLOGIA - TEXTOS PARA SU ESTUDIO NO. 2 (CRIMINOLOGY - TEXT FOR STUDY NO. 2)

Annotation

A NEW KIND OF CRIMINOLOGY, THE COUNTERPART OF THE ANTIPSYCHIATRY MOVEMENT, IS KNOWN AS ANTICRIMINOLOGY.

Abstract

ALL CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORIES CAN BE SEVERELY CRITICIZED FOR HAVING NO REAL OBJECT FOR RESEARCH, SINCE CRIME AND DEVIANCE HAVE NO OBJECTIVE EXISTENCE IN THEMSELVES. IF THE CONCEPTS OF RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY ARE CARRIED TO THEIR ULTIMATE CONCLUSIONS, EVEN THE MOST PROGRESSIVE CRIMINOLOGICAL APPROACHES BECOME POLITICAL, WITH THE WEAK, AND THE DEFENSE OF PROPERTY AS THEIR BASIC THEMES. CRIMINOLOGISTS ARE JUST AS PREJUDICED AGAINST THOSE WHOM THEY CALL DEVIANTS AS THE MASS MEDIA, ONLY MORE INTELLECTUALLY SOPHISTICATED AND MORE TOLERANT IN APPROACH. SEGREGATED FROM THE REST OF SOCIETY, INDIVIDUALS LABELED AS DEVIANT ARE, LIKE THE MENTALLY ILL, DENIED HUMANITY AND REASONING POWERS. JUST AS DRUG USERS ARE LABELED AS JUNKIES (DERIVED FROM JUNK OR REFUSE) THE REST OF THOSE WHO DO NOT CONFORM TO PREDOMINANT SOCIETAL NORMS AND VALUES ARE DENIED SELF-EXPRESSION AND THEIR VALUES ARE CALLED THE ABSENCE OF VALUES. SOCIOLOGISTS SHOULD TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO THE STUDY OF CRIMINAL LAWS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ESTABLISHMENT, WHICH HAVE THE POWER TO TURN EVEN OFFENDERS AGAINST THE LAW INTO IDEOLOGUES OF THE SYSTEM AND SUPPORTERS OF THE STATUS-QUO, BY FORCING OFFENDERS TO SEE THEMSELVES AS HAVING SINNED AGAINST SOMETHING GOOD (I.E., THE COMMON GOOD) INSTEAD OF PROTESTERS AGAINST THE INJUSTICES AND EVILS OF THE ESTABLISHED ORDER. SOCIOLOGISTS SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONS OF LAW AND POWER AND INSTITUTIONALIZED VIOLENCE IN ENFORCING UNJUST LAWS. THE APPROACH OF THE NEW CRIMINOLOGY (OR ANTICRIMINOLOGY) MUST BE TOTALLY OBJECTIVE: ITS PRACTITIONERS MUST DIVEST THEMSELVES OF ALL VESTIGES OF MIDDLE-CLASS VALUES AND OF THE HABIT OF USING THEMSLVES AS REFERENCE GROUPS AGAINST WHICH ALTERNATIVE TYPES OF CONDUCT ARE MEASURED, AND LOSE THE BELIEF IN THEIR OWN INHERENT SUPERIORITY. SELF-EVALUATION AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE MUST REPLACE COMPLACENCY. TWENTY-TWO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.--IN SPANISH.