NCJ Number
60432
Journal
Sociological Quarterly Volume: 19 Dated: (SUMMER 1978) Pages: 386-398
Date Published
1978
Length
13 pages
Annotation
CONSENSUS, CONFLICT, AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXPLANATIONS OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN SOCIAL CLASS AND OFFICIAL DELINQUENCY ARE EXAMINED IN THIS PAPER.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH STUDENTS OF DEVIANCE AGREE THAT SOCIAL CLASS IS A CLOSE AND CONSISTENT CORRELATE OF OFFICIALLY PROSCRIBED DEVIANCE, THEY DISAGREE ABOUT THE EXPLANATION OF THIS CORRELATION. IN SELECTING EXPLANATORY VARIABLES, CONSENSUS THEORISTS OF DEVIANCE FOCUS ON INFORMAL SYSTEMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL, SUCH AS THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. CONFLICT THEORISTS OF DEVIANCE FOCUS ON FORMAL CONTROL SYSTEMS, SUCH AS POLICE AND COURTS. THREE SOURCES OF DATA COORDINATED FOR THE STUDY WERE: A SURVEY OF ADOLESCENTS, INTERVIEWS WITH JUVENILE OFFICERS, AND SELECTED POLICE STATISTICS. TO MAKE THE DATA COMPARATIVE, THE COMMON FOCUS OF THE STUDY WAS THE CENTRAL AREA OF A SUBURBAN MUNICIPALITY OF OVER 250,000 PEOPLE ADJACENT TO A LARGE CANADIAN CITY. DATA FROM INDIVIDUAL ADOLESCENTS LIVING IN THE CENTRAL AREA WERE AGGREGATED INTO AREAL UNITS AND MATCHED WITH COMPARABLE POLICE DATA TO EXAMINE THE THREE PERSPECTIVES. FINDINGS REVEALED THE LINK BETWEEN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF AN AREA AND THE RATE OF FAMILY DISSOLUTION AND SELF-REPORTED DELINQUENCY. RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY RATES OPERATE IN A MANNER OPPOSITE TO THAT PREDICTED BY CONSENSUS THEORY. FURTHERMORE, THE VARIABLE WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECTS POLICE CONCEPTION - SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND HOUSING DENSITY - ALSO EXERTS INDIRECT EFFECTS THROUGH CITIZEN COMPLAINTS. THE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE PROPOSITION THAT POLICE CONCEPTIONS OF OFFENSIBLE SPACE ARE BUILT ON, AND EVENTUALLY BECOME AN EXAGGERATED REFLECTION OF, THE INPUT RECEIVED FROM THE INFORMAL SYSTEM OF SOCIAL CONTROL. REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. (MJW)