This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Cullen, F. T. Articles by Messner, S. F. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The making of criminology revisited

An oral history of Merton's anomie paradigm

University of Cincinnati, USA

Steven F. Messner

University at Albany, State University of New York, USA

We use a 1987 interview with Robert K. Merton to contribute a chapter to the evolving paradigm of ‘Social Structure and Anomie’ (SS&A). This oral history reveals how Merton's early life experiences may have contributed to his views about universalistic American goals prescribing social ascent and about why, despite growing up in a slum, he did not theoretically link crime to disorganized neighborhoods. It also allows commentary on Merton's preference for middle-range theory and the consolidation of competing paradigms; on the Marxian and Durkheimian influences on his work; and on his responses to critiques of SS&A. We contend that this project should be seen as an ‘oral publication’, a means of transmitting knowledge valued by Merton.

Key Words: anomie theory • growth of knowledge • Merton's sociology • oral history

Theoretical Criminology, Vol. 11, No. 1, 5-37 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1362480607072733


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?