UNDERSTANDING CRIME AND DELINQUENCY - A SOCIOLOGICAL INTRODUCTION

• NCJ Number: 12644
• Author(s): M PHILLIPSON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 228 pages
• Sale Source: Aldine Publishing Co
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PRESENTATION OF THE INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY, IN WHICH CRIMINAL DEVIANCE IS UNDERSTOOD BY EXAMINING THE PROCESSES OF ALL SOCIAL INTERACTION.

Abstract

THE INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE RECOMMENDS A SHIFTING OF ATTENTION TO THE ORDINARY AND ROUTINE PROCESSES OF SOCIAL LIFE IN ORDER TO CLARIFY THE ORIGINS OF THOSE FORMS OF BEHAVIOR WHICH SOCIETY CHARACTERIZES AS CRIME AS WELL AS THE SOURCES AND USES OF THE CHARACTERIZATIONS THEMSELVES. STARTING FROM A CRITIQUE OF TRADITIONAL CRIMINOLOGY, THE BOOK DEVELOPS AN ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE, DRAWING ON CONTEMPORARY INTERACTIONIST AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL WORK. RULE-MAKING AND RULE-BREAKING ARE CONSIDERED, AND AN ANALYSIS OF CRIME AND DEVIANCE PLACES THEM IN THE WIDER CONTEXT OF DEVIANCE, CONFORMITY, AND CONTROL SOCIOLOGICAL WORK ON JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IS REVIEWED TO SHOW MAJOR SHIFTS IN THEORY AND RESEARCH AND THE GRADUAL EMERGENCE OF AN ALL-INCLUSIVE PERSPECTIVE FOR UNDERSTANDING DELINQUENCY. THE FINAL DISCUSSION TREATS THE SUBJECT OF MOVING FROM THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING TO PRACTICAL SOCIAL ACTION WITHIN THIS INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)