TRANSCULTURAL ATTITUDES TOWARD ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR - THE 'WORST' CRIMES

• NCJ Number: 41461
• Journal: Social Science & Medicine Volume: 10 Dated: (NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1976) Pages: 541-545
• Author(s): J M WEISS; M E PERRY
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Pergamon Press Limited
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom
• Note: REPRINT

Annotation

THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES THE ATTITUDES THAT ARE HELD IN THE CULTURES OF OTHER COUNTRIES TOWARD THE SEVERITY OF VARIOUS SORTS OF CRIME.

Abstract

VIEWING CRIMINAL BEHAVIORS AS SOCIOPSYCHIATRIC PHENOMENA CLEARLY INFLUENCED BY CULTURAL NORMS AND VALUES THAT DEFINE WHICH BEHAVIORS ARE CONSIDERED DEVIANT, THE AUTHORS UTILIZED A SMALL-SAMPLE MODEL TO DETERMINE RELEVANT QUALITATIVE ATTRIBUTES OF PUBLIC OPINION AMONG SUBJECTS IN EIGHT LARGE CITIES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. RESULTS INDICATED THAT PEOPLE IN URBAN AREAS ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT CRIMES OF VIOLENCE (ESPECIALLY HOMICIDE) AND THEFT, AS WELL AS EXPLOITATION AND PUBLIC DISHONESTY. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG RESPONDENTS WERE RELATED PRIMARILY TO GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION RATHER THAN TO OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC OR EDUCATIONAL VARIABLES. IMPLICATIONS BEARING UPON PSYCHIATRIC AND JUDICIAL EVALUATION PROCESSES ARE DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)....BDS