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Chaos and the Withering Family: Explaining American Criminality

NCJ Number
173737
Author(s)
D A Camp; C M Hellman
Date Published
Unknown
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This paper examines chaos theory for insights into understanding the complex relationship between family values and criminal activity.
Abstract
If one considers the loss of family values as the underlying cause of increased criminal activity, research into the theory must use tools appropriate to the investigation of a complex and interactive dynamic system. Such components include the various family structures fundamental to human social interaction, the impact of social change on such aspects, the resulting reactions to these changes and the continued feedback of the continuous changes. Chaos theory, the science of dynamic systems, offers new insight into understanding the complex relationship between family values and criminal activity. Central to chaos theory is the proposition that all components of a given system continuously interact and therefore continuously influence each of the components of that system. Society today, individualistic oriented and multifaceted, is making every effort to find substitutes for the social and personal support systems that have the integrating ability once held by the family. The basic concepts of chaos suggest that chaotic systems tend to resolve into new organized patterns. References

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