Oral History and Delinquency: The Rhetoric of CriminologyUniversity of Chicago Press, 1988 M01 15 - 380 pages From Henry Mayhew's classic study of Victorian slums to Studs Terkel's presentations of ordinary people in modern America, oral history has been used to call attention to social conditions. By analyzing the nature and circumstances of the production of such histories of delinquency, James Bennett argues that oral history is a rhetorical device, consciously chosen as such, and is to be understood in terms of its persuasive powers and aims. Bennett shows how oral or life histories of juvenile delinquents have been crucial in communicating the human traits of offenders within their social context, to attract interest in resources for programs to prevent delinquency. Although life history helped to establish the discipline of sociology, Bennett suggests concepts for understanding oral histories generated in many fields. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Mayhews Use of Oral History | 11 |
2 Mayhew on Delinquency and Street Biography | 41 |
3 John Clay and the Cell Confessional | 65 |
The Art of the Appendix in NineteenthCentury America | 89 |
The Early Juvenile Court | 104 |
6 If Men Define Situations as Real They Are Real in Their Consequences | 123 |
The City as Laboratory | 151 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alinsky Allport American appear attitude audience autobiography Becker behavior Ben Lindsey Blumer boys Burgess Chicago Area Project Chicago Press child classes Clay Clay's Clifford Shaw crime criminal Criminology Delinquency Areas Dollard E. P. Thompson edition experience Fantastic Lodge Finestone gang girl Gordon Allport Healy Henry Mayhew House human documents Ibid individual Institute for Juvenile interest interview Jack-Roller Janet John juvenile court Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile Research Kobrin Lindsey linquency lives Lombroso London Labour marginal Mary Carpenter material method Morning Chronicle never offenders oral histories organization Park perhaps Personal Documents Polish Peasant political poor prison problem professional published Ragged Schools reader reform Refuge reports rhetorical Saul Alinsky says seems Shaw's life histories Snodgrass society sociologists sociology statements story street Studs Terkel theory Thomas's Thrasher tion University of Chicago W. I. Thomas writing wrote York young youth Znaniecki