SOCIOLOGY OF THE DEVIANT ACT - ANOMIE THEORY AND BEYOND (FROM CRIME AND DELINQUENCY, A READER, 1970 BY CARL A BERSANI - SEE NCJ-06248)

• NCJ Number: 10202
• Author(s): A K COHEN
• Date Published: 1965
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Macmillan
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FORMULATION OF A GENERAL THEORY OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR BASED ON ROBERT K MERTON'S ANOMIE THEORY.

Abstract

MERTON'S THEORY IS LARGELY SOCIOLOGICAL IN NATURE. ITS CONCERN IS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AMONG THE POSITIONS IN A SOCIAL SYSTEM AND FOR DIFFERENCES IN THE DISTRIBUTION AND RATES OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AMONG SYSTEMS. IT TRIES TO ACCOUNT FOR THESE THINGS AS FUNCTIONS OF SYSTEM PROPERTIES, THE EMPHASIS BEING ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE CULTURE AND OF THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE. THE AUTHOR NOTES SOME OF THE IMPERFECTIONS OF THE ANOMIE THEORY AS ORIGINALLY STATED, HOW SOME OF THESE SHORTCOMINGS HAVE BEEN RECTIFIED, SOME THEORETICAL OPENINGS FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION, AND SOME PROBLEMS OF RELATING ANOMIE THEORY TO OTHER TRADITIONS IN THE SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANCE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)