NCJ Number
48355
Journal
American Sociological Review Volume: 38 Issue: 6 Dated: (DECEMBER 1973) Pages: 736-749
Date Published
1973
Length
14 pages
Annotation
FINDINGS OF TWO INDEPENDENT STUDIES -- A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF 1,429 ADULT AMERICANS AND A SAMPLE OF 363 MEN IN A MICHIGAN PRISON -- FAIL TO SUPPORT THE SUBCULTURE OF VIOLENCE THEORY OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
TWO HYPOTHESES FOLLOWING FROM THE SUBCULTURE OF VIOLENCE THESIS ARE TESTED. THE FIRST IS THAT PERSONS WHO VARY IN PARTICIPATION IN VIOLENT BEHAVIOR SHOULD ALSO VARY IN THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD VIOLENCE. THE SECOND IS THAT PERSONS WHO PARTICIPATE IN VIOLENCE SHOULD HAVE A PATTERN OF UNDERLYING VALUES COMPATIBLE WITH VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. DATA FOR THE NATIONAL AREA PROBABILITY STUDY CAME FROM THE NATIONAL OPINION RESEARCH CENTER IN APRIL 1971. THE PRISON INMATE DATA WERE COLLECTED IN 1968 AND 1969. THE NATIONAL SAMPLE FOUND STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN APPROVAL OF VIOLENCE AND WILLINGNESS TO USE VIOLENCE FOR SOCIAL CONTROL (I.E., CAPITAL PUNISHMENT). HOWEVER, THE CORRELATION WITH INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE WAS WEAK. MALES WHO REPORTED HAVING PARTICIPATED IN PERSONAL VIOLENCE PLACED HIGHER VALUES ON AN EXCITING LIFE, MATURE LOVE, AND BEING IMAGINATIVE, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IMPORTANCE ON SOCIAL RECOGNITION, A COMFORTABLE LIFE, AND A WORLD AT PEACE. HOWEVER, THE DIFFERENCE WAS ONLY 2.0 MEDIAN RANKS OR LESS. THE DIFFERENCES WERE ALSO NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE SUBCULTURE OF VIOLENCE HYPOTHESIS. THE PRISON DATA SHOW NO SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCES IN VALUES BETWEEN INMATES INCARCERATED FOR VIOLENT, AS OPPOSED TO NONVIOLENT, CRIMES. YEARS OF INCARCERATION AND RECIDIVISM ALSO SHOWED NO RELATIONSHIPS. THIS RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT VIOLENCE MAY NOT BE VICTIM-INITIATED NOR AGRESSOR-INITIATED BUT IS BETTER EXPLAINED AS AN EMERGENT PROPERTY OF INTERACTION. TABLES PRESENT EXTENSIVE DATA FROM BOTH SURVEYS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (GLR)