Crime, Shame and Reintegration

by John Braithwaite

Overview

This book, a contribution to general criminological theory, suggests that the key to why some societies have higher crime rates than others lies in the way different cultures go about the social process of shaming wrongdoers. Shaming can be counterproductive, making crime problems worse. But when shaming is done within a cultural context of respect for the offender, it can be extraordinarily powerful, efficient, and just form of social control.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521356688
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/23/1989
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	5.47(w) x 8.39(h) x 0.79(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Whither criminological theory?; 2. The dominant theoretical traditions: labeling, subcultural, control, opportunity and learning theories; 3. Facts a theory of crime ought to fit; 4. The family model of the criminal process: reintegrative shaming; 5. Why and how does shaming work?; 6. Social conditions conducive to reintegrative shaming; 7. Summary of the theory; 8. Testing the theory; 9. Reintegrative shaming and white collar crime; 10. Shaming and the good society; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"This book seems likely to become a classic. It will be widely read, and its claims should inspire a good deal of empirical research. If the theory of reintegrative shaming proves to explain even a portion of the topics Braithwaite addresses, this book will have made an important, lasting contribution." Joel Best, Social Forces

"Anyone who wants to become or remain well informed about theories of crime and deviance should have this book on the bookshelf." Contemporary Sociology

From the Publisher