NCJ Number
43196
Journal
CRIME AND/ET JUSTICE Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1977) Pages: 23-32
Date Published
1977
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THREE MAJOR THEORETICAL APPROACHES WHICH HAVE BEEN USED TO EXPLAIN CRIMINALITY ARE EXAMINED BY TESTING THEM AGAINST LIFE HISTORIES OF PRISONERS; IT IS FOUND THAT 70 PERCENT OF THE CASES DO NOT FIT ANY ONE THEORY.
Abstract
MOST THEORIES OF DEVIANCE AND CRIMINALTY BELONG TO ONE OF THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES -- POOR SOCIALIZATION. A REACTION TO THE STRESSES OF SOCIETY OR THE EXPECTATIONS OF SOCIETY (LABELING), OR THE ABSENCE OF SOCIAL CONTROL. SOCIALIZATION THEORIES HAVE BEEN PROMINENT SINCE 1931. THE IDEA THAT INDIVIDUALS, THROUGH SOCIALIZATION, COME TO INTERNALIZE AND ACT IN ACCORDANCE TO VALUES FAVORABLE TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS CENTRAL TO BOTH THE THEORIES OF CULTURAL TRANSMISSION AND OF CULTURAL CONFLICT. SOCIETAL REACTION THEORIES SUGGEST THAT THROUGH 'TAGGING, DEFINING, IDENTIFYING, OR MAKING SELF-CONSCIOUS,' SOCIETY INDUCES THE DEVIATE TO ENGAGE IN FURTHER UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR. THE SOCIAL CONTROL THEORIES DO NOT VIEW INDIVIDUALS AS CONFORMING TO EITHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EXPECTATIONS OF DEVIANCE. THEY SUGGEST THAT INDIVIDUALS ENGAGE IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES BECAUSE SOCIAL CONTROLS ARE EITHER ABSENT OR SO WEAK AS TO BE INEFFECTIVE. THESE THEORIES WERE STUDIED BY CAREFULLY STRUCTURED LIFE HISTORY INTERVIEWS WITH 50 ADULT MALES WHOSE CRIMINAL HISTORIES SHOWED A PATTERN OF THEFT. ALL WERE IN A STATE PRISON AT THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW. ALL COULD BE DESCRIBED AS NONPROFESSIONAL PROPERTY OFFENDERS. THE CREDIBILITY OF LIFE HISTORIES IS SUBJECT TO IMPERFECT MEMORY AND A DESIRE TO JUSTIFY PAST ACTS, SO A NUMBER OF CROSS-CHECKING TECHNIQUES WERE USED TO VERFIY THE NARRATIONS. THE DATA FROM THESE LIFE HISTORIES WERE THEN CATEGORIZED, WHERE POSSIBLE, INTO ONE OF THE THREE THEORETICAL MODELS. THE ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON BOTH THE EMERGENCE OF THE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND THE PATTERNING OF SUCH BEHAVIOR. IT WAS FOUND THAT 13 CASES (30 PERCENT) DID NOT FIT ANY ONE MODEL BUT SPANNED TWO OR ALL THREE THEORETICAL APPROACHES. AN ADDITIONAL 18 (41 PERCENT) DID NOT FIT ANY OF THE THEORIES. IN THESE CASES STRESS OR SIMPLE PRAGMATISM WAS THE MAJOR INDUCEMENT TO CRIME. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT MORE CASE HISTORIES FROM A BROADER BASE ARE NEEDED TO FULLY EXPLORE THESE RELATIONSHIPS. HOWEVER, IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT TRADITIONAL SOCIOLOGY HAS FOCUSED ON EXCESSIVELY NARROW CONCEPTS. INSTEAD, RESEARCHERS SHOULD BEGIN LOOKING FOR INTERACTION AMONG SOCIALIZATION, SOCIETAL REACTION, AND CONTROL PROCESSES AND SHOULD BROADEN THEIR OBSERVATIONS TO INCLUDE OTHER FACTORS. (GLR)