Although many criminologists believe that corporal punishment in penal policy is of little more than historical interest, corporal punishment has been institutionalized in some societies, and there are strong pressures for its reintroduction in others. Corporal punishment is routinely imposed in several Middle Eastern countries that have strong indigenous cultures and many of the social and economic characteristics of traditional societies. It is also imposed regularly in Westernized, urban, industrial South Africa, where it appears to have the support of many well educated Europeans as well as many poorly educated Africans. While there seems to be no demand for corporal punishment in many other countries of similarly disparate characteristics, religious fundamentalists in Malaysia and Egypt and conservative law and order campaigners in Britain appear to be equally convinced of its potential utility. Reasons for the institutionalization of corporal punishment are complex and can be understood only by examining the socio-historical context in which these punishments evolved. There is a need for more research in this direction. Eighty footnotes are listed.