NCJ Number
134202
Date Published
1971
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This paper deals with the conflicting tendencies of discipline-oriented and problem-oriented approaches in social science as applied to the field of criminology.
Abstract
The crime problem and associated violence and social disturbances have spurred the development of an interdisciplinary approach to criminology and social action. Within the broader movement toward interdisciplinarity in the behavioral sciences, criminology occupies a rather special position. Many criminological perspectives have emerged with conflicting or diverging disciplinary loyalties. To encourage rapprochement of interdisciplinarity and single-factor theories, multiple factor adherents should state more explicitly the reason for their choice of particular items for analysis, seek to link previously unintegrated but highly correlated data to existing theory, and produce new theory as a result of integrated efforts. Single-theory researchers should examine and make more extensive use of data already collected by the multiple factor approach, specify more explicitly the range and parameters of their conceptualizations, employ a full complement of operational concepts so that data directly support theories, and suggest the best sources and levels of quantitative and qualitative data that can be used to examine specific theory components. The attainment of interdisciplinary integration, particularly in criminological research, depends on highly complex processes. In addition, administrative problems of interdisciplinary research vary widely from country to country. Possible activities for future integrated criminological research are noted. 95 references