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Socialization - The Political Aspects of a Delinquency Explanation

NCJ Number
87811
Journal
Sociological Spectrum Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-March 1983) Pages: 85-100
Author(s)
D Shichor
Date Published
1983
Length
16 pages
Annotation
A review of explanations for juvenile delinquency in socialist regimes indicates that these countries use socialization more often to explain delinquent involvement than do capitalist countries.
Abstract
The only valid explanations of juvenile delinquency that can be accepted by political regimes built on ideological principles similar to those advocated by radical criminology are those that blame outside elements or the technical malfunctioning of social institutions, which implies socialization problems. The major reason for this is the strong ideological commitment to a socioeconomic and political doctrine that cannot admit that in a socialist Marxist society factors germane to the social structure might lead to juvenile delinquency. Every social system uses methods of socialization to transfer societal values and norms to their new members, especially totalitarian regimes (a category in which most of the so-called socialist countries fit), which use organized youth movements for indoctrination. Footnotes and about 40 references are supplied. (Author summary modified)

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