Suchergebnisse

Social problems researchers have documented the role of science in identifying, typifying, & shaping policy responses with respect to a variety of new social problems. Researchers have given less attention, however to the role of science in ongoing debates over problems that are well established & contentious. This paper examines the influence of mainstream scientific knowledge concerning the deterrent effects of the death penalty on a death penalty debate in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Mainstream scientific opposition to the deterrence hypothesis is found to influence the claims-making strategies of death penalty proponents, leading them to draw heavily on common sense, to scale-back & qualify their claims concerning deterrence, & to reframe the debate in terms of just retribution. These effects are attributed to the cultural rules that structure debate in a legislative decision-making body. 3 Tables, 1 Figure, 43 References. Adapted from the source document.

This article examines conspiracy theories about crime, drugs, and violence expressed by African American residents of Boston, Massachusetts. The theories attribute crime and violence to the clandestine actions of powerful whites. The data upon which the article is based were gathered in a series of peer group discussions among participants in neighborhood crime watch groups. The article describes the prevalence of the conspiracy theories in the sample of peer group discussions. It also advances arguments to explain why the theories persist and why they tend to be expressed in vague and multiple forms.