NCJ Number
13301
Date Published
1972
Length
130 pages
Annotation
DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY AS A BASIC SOCIOLOGY TEXT, THIS DOCUMENT PRESENTS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD AS IT RELATES TO THE POLICE OFFICER.
Abstract
NOT ONLY ARE MAJOR SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS IDENTIFIED AND DISCUSSED, ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON THE WAYS IN WHICH SOCIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE CAN AID THE OFFICER IN UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIAL FORCES BEARING UPON THE POLICE FUNCTION. THROUGH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIETY IN WHICH HE LIVES AND WORKS, THE OFFICER CAN BE BETTER PREPARED TO EFFECTIVELY ACCOMPLISH HIS TASK. EACH CHAPTER IS DESIGNED TO INTRODUCE THE READER TO A PARTICULAR SUBFIELD OF SOCIOLOGY. IN ORDER TO AID IN THE PURSUIT OF A FURTHER AND MORE COMPLETE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY, A LIST OF RELEVANT RECOMMENDED READINGS HAS BEEN APPENDED AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER. A GLOSSARY ALSO FOLLOWS EACH CHAPTER SO THAT THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO TEST HIS RETENTION OF THE MATERIAL. THE TEXT INITIALLY INTRODUCES THE READER TO THE NATURE AND MEANING OF SOCIOLOGY AND DISCUSSES BRIEFLY THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD. SOCIETY, ITS ORGANIZATION, AND THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL CONTROL ARE DISCUSSED. ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO MAN'S BASIC SOCIAL INSTITUTION, THE FAMILY, AND TO THE PROCESS OF SOCIALIZATION. THE TEXT THEN CONTINUES IN A LOGICAL SEQUENCE, DISCUSSING THE CONCEPT OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEM, THE UNDERSTANDING OF CRIME AND NATURE OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, PROBATIONERS AND PAROLEES, ENFORCEMENT AND MINORITY GROUPS, DIFFERING POLICE PROBLEMS IN VARYING KINDS OF MUNICIPALITIES, SOCIAL CLASS AND THE POLICE OFFICER, COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR AND THE GROWTH OF CROWDS, AND THE PROBLEMS OF POLICE WORK IN THE RAPIDLY CHANGING SOCIETY OF TODAY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)