NCJ Number
58244
Date Published
1979
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THE ROLE OF THE SOCIOLOGY OF MOTIVATION WITHIN DEVIANCE THEORY, AS A MEANS TO PROVIDE A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE IS EXPLORED AND OTHER FIELDS IN ADDITION TO DEVIANCE ARE HIGHLIGHTED.
Abstract
THE SOCIOLOGY OF MOTIVATION HAS REDUCED ANALYTIC DEPENDENCE UPON SUCH CONSTRUCTS AS DRIVES, INSTINCTS, AND INTERNAL STATES IT INHIBITS RECOURSE TO DUBIOUSLY GROUNDED NOTIONS OF VALUE SYSTEMS AND IDEOLOGIES AND IT IS BEST REGARDED AS AN ETHNOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE, A SET OF SUGGESTIONS FOR TREATMENT OF THE 'MOTIVATIONAL ELEMENTS' WHICH REGULARLY APPEAR WITHIN THE VERBALIZATIONS OF SPECIFIC GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A SOCIOLOGY OF MOTIVATION AND THE TRADITIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SEARCH FOR DISTINCTIVE INTERNAL MOTIVES. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SET OF VERBALIZED MOTIVES WHICH TYPICALLY ACCOMPANY ACTIONS OCCURRING IN SPECIFIED SITUATIONS IS A MAJOR GOAL OF SUCH RESEARCH. AN ELABORATION OF THE LINGUISTIC OR RHETORICAL APPROACH DOES NOT REPRESENT AN ANALYTIC SHIFT FROM TRADITIONAL THEORIES, SUCH AS THAT OF C. WRIGHT MILLS, BUT RATHER IS THE LOGICAL EXTENTION OF THEM. SOME OF THE DEBATE OVER MOTIVES HAS DISPLAYED A TENDENCY TO SHIFT FROM AN ANALYSIS OF SITUATIONAL RHETORIC TOWARDS A PSYCHOLOGISTIC CONCERN WITH REAL MOTIVES. HOWEVER, THIS SHIFT IS BASICALLY TOO SIMPLISTIC. OUR COGNITIVE COMMITMENT TO FORMULATING THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MOTIVATIONAL PROCEDURES IS ACTUALLY A PREREQUISITE FOR OUR AMENABILITY TO RHETORICAL APPEALS WHICH ATTEMPT TO PERSUADE US THAT ONE GROUP OR INSTITUTION IS MORE APPROPRIATELY MOTIVATED THAN ANOTHER. EMPHASIS UPON THE GRAMMAR OF MOTIVES IS AN IMPORTANT REMINDER THAT MOTIVATION ASCRIPTION IS NOT A SPECIALIZED TASK TO BE PERFORMED AT A CRISIS POINT, BUT RATHER A ROUTINE PROCEDURE FOR ACTUALLY PRODUCING A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE, EVENTS, AND THEIR INTERCONNECTIONS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. SEE NCJ-58238. (LWM)