Cecil L. Willis

Stratification in Science: A Comparison of Publication Patterns in Four Disciplines.

Publication patterns in the leading journals of chemistry, economics, philosophy, and sociology between 1960 and 1985 are examined Patterns of institutional stratification are indicated by the dispersion of institutional affiliations among authors, peripheral status of authors, and the extent of the bureaucratization of knowledge produced within the respective disciplines. The data show that patterns of institutional stratification vary across indicators and among the disciplines examined; that is, on some indicators, certain disciplines appear more relatively open than others. The relative openness among the leading journals in these disciplines, however, should not obscure the fact that institutional representation in these leading journals is generally restricted to an inner circle of prestigious academic institutions.

Down home criminology: The place of indigenous theories of crime

Comparative criminology continues to develop at an accelerated pace. Today, cross-national empirical studies of crime are quite common and comparative theories of crime, such as the Durkheimian-modernization theory, Marxian World Systems/Dependency theory, and ecological opportunity theory have been formulated. There also have been several cross-national analyses of American theories of crime, yet very little attention has been given to theoretical developments unique to the historical, cultural, and social structural characteristics of lesser known societies. The central thesis of this article is that criminology can benefit from the theories and concepts formulated outside the United States. The purpose of this article was to examine theoretical developments and concepts indigenous to various societies and to compare them with theories prevalent in American criminology. The benefits of integrating non-American theories and concepts with dominant American theories of crime are discussed.

Gender differences in patterns of publication in leading sociology journals, 1960–1985

This paper examines the impact of the recent feminization of the sociological profession on gender differences in patterns of publication in leading sociology journals. Our findings show that women are better represented in the leading journals in an absolute sense, but continue to be underrepresented relative to men. Moreover, while women are better represented in the leading journals than in the past, they more often occupy marginal locations within the structure of the discipline. Finally, we discuss the likely implications of the feminization of sociology on the production of knowledge within the discipline as a whole.

Place and Crime Integrating Sociology of Place and Environmental Criminology

Standard sociology and criminology have not been sufficiently sensitive to the unique characteristics that places have. It has been implicitly assumed that one place (be it a neighborhood, census track, or metropolitan area) is interchangeable with another, given certain demographic and economic variables. This article attempts to recast environmental criminology within a sociological framework known as the “sociology of place.” The unequal spatial distribution of crime makes it an ideal candidate for analysis within this sociological framework: crime is universal, yet spatially concentrated; targets everyone, yet not everyone equally; is socially constructed, yet has a very real physical reality to it. The article addresses the important linkage between crime and place.

Theoretical development of comparative criminology: Rekindling an interest

Comparative criminology is making an impressive imprint in academic circles. This is evident by the burgeoning number of studies, journal articles, books, college courses, symposia, and conferences devoted to comparative issues. Our reading of existing literature, however, indicates the comparative field is overly descriptive and oriented to the pragmatic rather than theoretical. Comparative criminology is not theoretically sophisticated. This paper assesses the current state of theory in the comparative field and offers some preliminary suggestions for correcting the theoretical void. Colemans (1991) theory of white‐collar crime and Gottfredson and Hirschis (1990) general theory of crime are presented as examples of theoretical frameworks with potential comparative applications. Implications for future development of comparative criminological theory are discussed.

Criminal justice theory: A case of trained incapacity?

Abstract Theories are scientific tools which give meaning to the social and physical reality that scientists study. They also play a crucial role in generating and storing the information of a discipline. The academic field of criminal justice has a wealth of facts but a dearth of theory. As a result, this field is still only partially developed. This article is a call for greater attention to theory so that the analysis of the criminal justice system and its components can be more fruitful. A survey of 25 criminal justice textbooks published since 1975 shows that the analysis of criminal justice retains a facts-without-theory flavor. For criminal justice as an academic field of study to grow, theory must be integrated much more into criminal justice research and education than has been the case. The theoretical frameworks of such social theorists as Durkheim, Marx, and Weber, among others, are suggested as sources to draw upon to develop an integrated comprehensive theory of the criminal justice system.

The pricking of a sacred cow: A suggestion for reform of the manuscript review process and the gatekeepers’ response

The paper examines the review process currently in vogue in the social sciences and contends that the process is in need of reform. The authors propose multiple submissions of extended abstracts as a possibility. The paper tests this alternative and presents an analysis of the results.

EXTRALEGAL JUSTICE AND CRIME CONTROL

ABSTRACT Drawing on the research literature on community-based crime control, this article explores the role of extralegal justice as an important complement to more formal legal justice efforts employed by communities to regulate crime. Several structural features and properties of extralegal justice are examined to evaluate its utility as a crime control mechanism. In turn, a number of relevant theoretical approaches are then identified to propose specific avenues to stimulate and guide future analyses of collective crime control and justice at the community level. Specifically, it is argued that extralegal justice is not an isolated and independent mechanism of crime control unconnected to the official legal system. Rather, the authors contend that legal and extralegal justice are both integral to understanding the inner-workings of the relationship between community crime control efforts and the larger social control structure of society.

Success or sorrow: the paradoxical view of crime control campaigns in China

Since Deng Xiaoping introduced a market economy in the mid-1970s, China has achieved great progress and its citizens have greater incomes. Yet, current research documents an increase in organized crime and corruption in China. The focus of this research is on the use of the “strike hard” crime campaigns (yanda and da hei in Mandarin) against organized criminals and economic corruption in China. Crime control campaigns are ongoing and are widely criticized for abuses of power. One of the most frequently mentioned examples of the official abuse of authority is the da hei (strike black) campaign, instigated by former Chongqing mayor and prominent politician Bo Xilai. In 2012, Bo Xilai was detained in a political scandal that continues to engulf Chinese politics. This article discusses whether increasing crime and corruption, growing prosperity, internal migration of rural migrants, and modernization can be viewed as factors that support the use of crime control campaigns. The Chinese view disorder as a threat to stability. This article examines how yanda or strike hard campaigns are used as China contends with threats to its social order.