CULTURE CONFLICT, URBANISM, AND DELINQUENCY

Society is not static; rather, it changes over time, and for this reason, the concept of social control takes on dynamic properties. At a most basic level, the intention of social control is to maintain coherence within the social order. Some degree of stability is necessary if this purpose is to be accomplished; however, stability should not be interpreted as synonymous with social control. A society must adapt to its changing internal and external environment if it is to be guarded from some cataclysmic change which would threaten coherence. Control must, therefore, incorporate the capacity for change. This article analyzes the ability of four forms of crime control to provide these two criteria of social control: stability and adaptability. From this perspective, the proscriptive nature of criminal justice is critiqued and suggestions for future directions are made.