NCJ Number
240931
Journal
Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: September 2012 Pages: 347-375
Date Published
September 2012
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This article examines the theory of offending pathways based on the concept of negotiated order.
Abstract
This article explores the role which formal and informal regulatory orders play in the development of offender identity. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data from the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime, it argues that the cultural practices of formal orders (such as those imposed by schools and the police) and informal orders (such as the rules governing peer interactions) mirror each other in respect of their fundamental dynamics - animated primarily by an inclusionary-exclusionary imperative. Formal orders differentiate between categories of young people on the basis of class and suspiciousness. Informal orders differentiate between individuals on the basis of adherence to group norms, territorial sovereignty, and gender appropriate demeanor. Being excluded by either set of orders undermines the capacity of the individual to negotiate, limits autonomy and constrains choice. This renders the individual more likely to absorb identities ascribed to them with damaging consequences in terms of offending behavior and the individual's sense of self. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.