CONSTRUCTING CROSS-CULTURAL THEORIES IN CRIMINOLOGY

Over the past twenty years, researchers have, once again, discovered the benefits of studying a phenomenon cross-culturally, and a revival of the method is currently underway. However, criminologists currently use the method to determine the scope and generalizability of their theories, which were orginally developed for use in one particular culture. Due to problems in this approach, their activities have been met with varied success. The purpose of this article is to examine the use of the cross-cultural research method in constructing and testing criminological theories. The article will distinguish between the use of a method to determine a theory's scope and generalizability (Evaluative Approach) and the use of the method to construct explanatory models designed to transcend cultural boundaries (Generative Approach). The article will conclude with a detailed discussion of the latter.     

THE IMPACT OF REAPPORTIONMENT ON POLICY EXPENDITURES: A Quasi-Experimental Time-Series Analysis

While there is little question that court-ordered reapportionment has changed the composition of state legislative personnel, it is still unclear whether reapportionment has had any significant impact on public policies. Evidence to date has been both contradictory and methodologically suspect. Using time-series regression in a quasi-experimental design, we examine the effects of reapportionment on expenditures in three policy areas within eight states—four control (states well apportioned before 1964) and four experimental (states egregiously malapportioned before 1964). Contrary to recent time-series analyses on this topic, we find that the implementation of the "one man, one vote" ruling had little significant effect on the distribution of state expenditures believed beneficial to urban interests.     

SOPHISTICATION,ORGANIZATION, AND AUTHORITY-SUB JECT CONFLICT: REDISCOVERING AND UNRAVELING TURK'S THEORY OF NORM RESISTANCE*

While it has been more than a quarter of a century since Austin Turk proposed his non-partisan conflict theory in Criminality and Legal Order, little effort has been made to assess this work empirically. This study applies Turk's theory to police-citizen encounters at domestic disputes in a southern city. Five hypotheses are advanced and analyzed. The findings indicate that after controlling for race, sex, and area of the city, overt conflict between the police and citizens is related to the organization and sophistication of the participants involved.     

PUBERTAL DEVELOPMENT,SOCIAL FACTORS,AND DELINQUENCY AMONG ADOLESCENT BOYS*

The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health is used to examine the relationship between pubertal development and delinquency among boys (grades 7–9). We find strong positive relationships between pubertal development and violence, on one hand, and property crimes, drug use, and precocious sexual behavior on the other. However, we find no evidence that these effects are due to the effects of puberty on risk‐taking, maladjustment, dominance behavior, or autonomous behavior. We do find evidence that pubertal development interacts with social factors—mature boys are more strongly influenced by delinquent friends. Pubertal development also has stronger effects on the delinquency of boys who are academically successful and thus are generally disinclined to engage in delinquency.