Criminal justice: An emerging academic profession and discipline

The recent history and current trends of criminal justice educational programs are examined in light of traditional definitions of professions, disciplines, and sciences. The author concludes that criminal justice is clearly emerging as a unique academic profession and as a nontraditional discipline. The nature of contemporary criminal justice education is discussed to develop predictions of its directions.     

Nonresidential criminal justice graduate degree programs

Nonresidential criminal justice graduate degree programs were recognized as significant elements within the contemporary educational scene. The structure, nature, and extent of such programs, as reflected in the professional literature, were reviewed. A survey of the state level governing bodies in the United States was reported, as was a case study of one state's evaluation of an out-of-state graduate degree program in criminal justice, operating without license within the host state. These were used as vehicles for a consideration of the issues important to the consumer of nonresidential graduate degree programs. It was concluded that innovative educational methods and structures are desirable, but that some nonresidential programs have been inadequate academically, and the danger exists that such programs may undermine criminal justice education and defraud the criminal justice students. Criminal justice scholars were encouraged to require rigorous standards for such programs.     

The Duel of Honor: Screening For Unobservable Social Capital

The duel of honor was a highly ritualized violent activity practiced(mostly) by aristocrats from about 1500 to 1900. The duel ofhonor was held in private, was attended by seconds and othermembers of society, was illegal, and often resulted from trivialincidents. Duels were fought according to strict codes, theirlethality fell over time, and certain members of society werenot allowed to duel. We argue dueling functioned as a screenfor unobservable investments in social capital. Social capitalwas used during this period to support political transactionsin an age when high civil service appointments were made throughpatronage. The screening hypothesis explains the puzzling featuresof the duel of honor, its rise and fall over time and locations,and the differences between European and American duels. In a state of highly polished society, an affront is held tobe a serious injury. It must, therefore, be resented, or rathera duel must be fought upon it; as men have agreed to banishfrom their society one who puts up with an affront without fightinga duel.

—Samuel Johnson, quoted in James Boswell