NCJ Number
11491
Date Published
1973
Length
74 pages
Annotation
SUGGESTS GUIDELINES FOR THE CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON OF DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL FOCUSING ON DIFFERENCES IN THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CONTROLLERS AND DEVIANTS.
Abstract
EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON THE VALUE OF THE COMPARATIVE METHOD OF ANALYSIS IN STUDYING THE SOCIOLOGY OF SOCIAL CONTROL. FIRST ASSUMING DURKHEIM'S NOTION THAT DEVIANCE OCCURS IN SOME DEGREE IN ALL SOCIETIES, THE AUTHORS, AFTER POINTING OUT INHERENT DEFICIENCIES IN UNIVERSALISTIC APPROACHES, SUGGEST AREAS IN WHICH COMPARISON IS VIABLE AND THAT ARE PREREQUISITE TO FURTHER COMPARATIVE STUDY. VARIATIONS IN THE DEGREE OF THE DEVIANT'S PERCEPTION OF THE AUTHORITATIVENESS OF NORMS AND THE HOMOGENEITY OF SOCIAL CONTROL ARE TWO OF THESE AREAS. COUPLED WITH THE VARYING AVAILABILITY OF ALTERNATIVE DEVIANT CULTURES AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONTROLLER'S DEFINITIONS BY THE DEVIANT, A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK CAN BE DEFINED FOR THE FURTHER COMPARISON OF CRIME AND DEVIANCY RATES BETWEEN DIFFERENT CULTURES.