NCJ Number
118950
Date Published
1989
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This paper suggests a rationale for integrating levels of explanation of delinquency, proposes alternatives to simplifying assumptions which ignore well-established knowledge, and identifies relationships between levels of explanation which might foster their integration.
Abstract
Levels of explanation refer to what is to be explained as well as to how it is to be explained. The "individual" level explains behaviors of individuals, and the "macrosocial" level focuses on rates and types of behavior. The "microsocial" level addresses the behavioral outcomes of ongoing behavioral events and seeks explanation in terms of the interaction processes characteristic of such events. The relevance of each level of explanation to the other levels is the nature of theoretical integration. Theoretical and empirical advance, as well as effective social policy, require knowledge that transcends the limitations of levels of explanation standing alone. The microsocial level of explanation is useful in linking the macrosocial and individual levels, although it is the least understood of the levels of explanation.