NCJ Number
41648
Date Published
1977
Length
176 pages
Annotation
PERSONAL STATEMENTS FROM CRIMINALS AND NON-CRIMINALS ARE PRESENTED TO CONTRAST REASONS PEOPLE GIVE FOR CHOOSING TO LIVE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LAW.
Abstract
THE ACCOUNTS OF MANY NON-OFFENDERS WHOSE LIVES REFLECT CONSCIOUS DECISIONS (PEOPLE WHO HAVE WEIGHED THE REWARDS OF THE 'STRAIGHT' VERSUS THE CRIMINAL LIFE AND THOSE WHO HAD AN EARLY BRUSH WITH CRIME BUT DECIDED AGAINST IT) ARE ACCOMPANIED BY SOME ANALYSIS AND SELECTED REFERENCES TO OTHER WRITERS AND THINKERS AND TO SOME BASIC CONCEPTS. THEN, BY INTRODUCING AND DEFINING SOME SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES OR FRAMEWORKS SUCH AS REFERENCE GROUPS, NEUTRALIZATION THEORY, AND ALIENATION THEORY, THE AUTHOR ATTEMPTS TO STRENGTHEN THE MEANING OF THE RESPONSES AND TO PLACE THEM WITHIN A SOIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE. BASED ON THE PARADOX THAT WHILE VIRTUALLY ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS HAVE ENGAGED IN DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, THE VAST MAJORITY OF DEVIANTS ARE GENERALLY LAW ABIDING, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT LAW-ABIDING PERSONS MAY HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH CONVICTED OFFENDERS THAN IS ORDINARILY ASSUMED. THIS ASSERTION IS RELATED TO TWELVE SELECTED PROPOSITIONS OR HYPOTHESES REGARDING THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL NEARNESS OF EVERYDAY NON-OFFENDERS TO THOSE OFFICIALLY LABELED AS CRIMINALS. A 16-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY AND AN INDEX ARE INCLUDED....ELW