NCJ Number
60230
Journal
Deviance et societe Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1977) Pages: 109-117
Date Published
1977
Length
9 pages
Annotation
SOCIAL AND CRIMINOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS LEADING TO THE CREATION OF THE EUROPEAN GROUP FOR THE STUDY OF DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL ARE ANALYZED.
Abstract
TRADITIONAL EUROPEAN CRIMINOLOGY CONSIDERED THE OFFENDER AS THE PASSIVE PRODUCT OF NUMEROUS BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS WHICH COULD BE ANALYZED WITHOUT THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ANY KIND OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE. THIS VIEW WAS REPLACED BY THE CONCEPT OF THE OFFENDER AS THE PRODUCT OF A 'SICK SOCIETY.' IN BOTH APPROACHES, THE SYSTEM OF (LEGAL) VALUES APPEARED AS A HOMOGENOUS BODY BASED ON THE CONSENSUS OF SOCIETY. CHANGES IN SOCIETY AND THE ASSERTION OF FORMERLY UNDERPRIVILEGED MINORITY GROUPS QUESTIONED THE VALIDITY OF SUCH A UNIFIED NORMATIVE SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING OFFENDERS. SINCE THE MID-SIXTIES, TWO NEW DIRECTIONS HAVE EMERGED CHALLENGING EXISTING CRIMINOLOGY. THE FIRST DIRECTION CONSISTS OF A REDEFINITION OF THE 'LABELING THEORY' WHICH WAS IMPORTED FROM THE UNITED STATES. BRITISH CRIMINOLOGISTS, IN A COMPLETE REVERSAL OF THE TRADITIONAL VIEW, DESCRIBED THE OFFENDER AS A QUASI-ROMANTIC INDIVIDUAL WHO DELIVERATELY MAKES HIS CHOICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS OWN MORAL UNIVERSE. A MORE OR LESS CONSCIOUS ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THIS 'ROMANTICISED IMAGE' LED TO THE CREATION OF THE EUROPEAN GROUP FOR THE STUDY OF DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL. THE MEMBERS--CRIMINOLOGICAL EXPERTS FROM A VARIETY OF SCHOOLS AND APPROACHES--INTENDED TO SHOW THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SYSTEMS OF STATE DOMINANCE AND CONTROL ON THE ONE HAND AND THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION AND THE DIVISION OF LABOR ON THE OTHER. THE RESEARCH EVOLVED INTO A CRITIQUE OF THE AGENCIES OF SOCIAL CONTROL AND THE WELFARE STATE. FOR EXAMPLE, WHITE-COLLAR CRIME WAS NO LONGER SEEN AS AN INCIDENTAL OCCURRENCE BUT AS THE INEVITABLE RESULT OF POWER STRUCTURES IN CAPITALIST SOCIETY. THE STUDIES HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED WITH GREAT INTEREST BY A 'NEW LEFT.' THE ARTICLE PROVIDES FOOTNOTES. --IN FRENCH. (SAJ)