Toward a General Theory of Social Control

Studies on Law and Social Control: Toward a General Theory of Social Control, Volume 1: Fundamentals focuses on the dynamics, practices, and mechanisms involved in social control.

The selection first underscores social control as a dependent variable and division of labor in social control. Discussions focus on the explanation of division of social control labor; concept of division of social control labor; conceptions of the relationship between law and social control; quantity of normative behavior; and concept of social control. The text then takes a look at the stage of disputing to complaining, liability and social structure, and social organization of vengeance. Topics include revenge among inmates, contingency of vengeance, design of vengeance, liability and conflict management, idiom of liability in stateless societies, and complaining and the direction of law.

The publication ponders on the variability of punishment, compensation in cross-cultural perspective, therapy and social solidarity, logic of mediation, and gossips and scandals. Concerns include role of gossip in small-scale societies, therapeutic social control in individualistic groups and tribal societies, social organization of compensation, and existing theories of punishment.

The selection is a vital source of data for sociologists and researchers interested in the fundamentals of social control.

Contenu

Contributors

Preface

Contents of Volume 2

1 Social Control as a Dependent Variable

Beyond Law

The Concept of Social Control

Varieties of Normative Behavior

The Quantity of Normative Variation

Models of Social Control

The Good, the True, and the Beautiful

References

2 The Division of Labor in Social Control

Conceptions of the Relationship Between Law and Social Control

The New Conception and the Old Sociologies of Law and Social Control

The Concept of Division of Social Control Labor

Explaining the Division of Social Control Labor

References

3 From Disputing to Complaining

Organizing Ethnographic Diversity

The Berkeley Village Law Project

Complaining and the Direction of Law

A Choice of Two Models

Concluding Remarks

References

4 Liability and Social Structure

Liability and Conflict Management

The Idiom of Liability in Stateless Societies

Implications for a General Theory of Liability

References

5 The Social Organization of Vengeance

The Justice of Vengeance

The Civilization of Vengeance

The Functions of Vengeance

Games of Vengeance

The Design of Vengeance

Conduits of Vengeance

The Contingency of Vengeance

Revenge Among Intimates

Conclusion

References

6 The Variability of Punishment

The Concept of Punishment

Existing Theories of Punishment

The Theories Extended

Conclusion

References

7 Compensation in Cross-Cultural Perspective

The Context of Compensation

The Social Organization of Compensation

Modes of Compensation

A Note on International Compensation

References

8 Therapy and Social Solidarity

Toward a Theory of Therapeutic Social Control

Therapeutic Social Control in Tribal Societies

Therapeutic Social Control in Other Communal Groups

Therapeutic Social Control in Individualistic Groups

Psychotherapy After Psychoanalysis

The Users of Individualistic Therapies

Conclusion

References

9 The Logic of Mediation

The Propositions

Conclusion

References

10 Rethinking Gossip and Scandal

Anthropological Perspectives on Gossip

Definitions and Characteristics

The Role of Gossip in Small-Scale Societies

Gossip and Scandal in Complex Societies

Conclusions

References

11 Social Control from Below

Rebellion

Covert Retaliation

Noncooperation

Appeals for Support

Flight

Distress

General Observations

References

Author Index

Subject Index