NCJ Number
55882
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1979) Pages: 34-38
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
PITFALLS OF THREE STRATEGIES USED IN ATTEMPTS TO INTEGRATE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ETIOLOGY OF DELINQUENCY ARE POINTED OUT, WITH REFERENCES TO ONE SUCH ATTEMPT (SEE NCJ-55880) THAT USES ALL THREE STRATEGIES.
Abstract
END-TO-END, SIDE-BY-SIDE, AND UP-AND-DOWN STRATEGIES ARE OPEN TO THOSE WHO WOULD RESOLVE CONFLICTS AMONG STRAIN, SOCIAL CONTROL, AND DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORIES OF DELINQUENCY. THE END-TO-END APPROACH INVOLVES PLACING THEORIES IN A DEVELOPMENTAL SEQUENCE. IF EACH OF THE CONSTITUENT THEORIES WAS ORIGINALLY ADVANCED AS A DIRECT EXPLANATION OF THE OUTCOME IN QUESTION (I.E., DELINQUENT BAHAVIOR), THE END-TO-END INTEGRATIONIST IS IN EFFECT ARGUING THAT ALL THEORIES BUT THE FINAL ONE IN THE SEQUENCE ARE WRONG, THUS AGGRAVATING RATHER THAN MEDIATING THE CONFLICT. THE SIDE-BY-SIDE APPROACH INVOLVES SEGREGATING CASES TO WHICH EACH THEORY IS CONSIDERED APPLICABLE. THIS APPROACH AVOIDS SOME OF THE CONFLICT INHERENT IN THE SEQUENTIAL APPROACH, BUT AS YET THE NECESSARY SEGREGATION OF CASES HAS PROVED ELUSIVE. INTEGRATIONISTS WHO USE THE UP-AND-DOWN APPROACH RAISE THE LEVEL OF ABSTRACTION TO THE POINT WHERE CONFLICTING THEORIES BECOME SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS OF A GENERAL THEORY OF DEVIANCE. THE PROBLEM HERE IS THE TENDENCY OF INTEGRATIONISTS TO ACCEPT WITHOUT QUESTION THE TRUTH OF ANY THEORY SUBSUMED BY THEIR GRAND THEORY. IT IS PROBABLY FORTUNATE THAT THE INTEGRATIONIST'S TASK IS SO DIFFICULT, BECAUSE A SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION WOULD PUT AN END TO THE COMPETITION OF IDEAS THAT HAS MADE DELINQUENCY SUCH AN EXCITING FIELD OF SOCIOLOGY. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)