Delinquency and Drift

by David Matza

The first C. Wright Mills Award-winning book, Delinquency and Drift has become a recognized classic in the fields of criminology and social problems. In it, Matza argues persuasively that delinquent thought and delinquent action are distorted reflections of the ideas and practices that pervade contemporary juvenile law and its administration. His ideas are as persuasive today as when they were first published twenty-five years ago. By example and illustration, Matza argues that the delinquent subculture is based on many of the same standards as the conventional social order, and that the delinquent's negation of the law is the result of his relations with an inconsistent and vulnerable legal code. Once the juvenile breaks his or her ties to the legal order, the drift to delinquency becomes relatively easy to justify. The author also maintains that being liberated from legal constraint does not necessarily lead to delinquency; that event depends on the will to commit crime. Because delinquency remains one of our most serious social problems, it is important to consider Matza's thesis that the drift toward delinquency is frequently aided by the unwitting support of society and the guardians of social order.

222 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

"¿Quienes son ustedes para juzgarme?"...nunca mejor usada esta frase, me llevó mucho tiempo leer este libro, fue una recomendación dentro de unas de las asignaturas de la carrera. El motivo por el que me llevó tiempo leerlo, a pesar no ser muy largo, es porque lo hacía solo en horas muertas de colectivo o esperando en algún lugar.Recomendaría este libro para quienes les gusten leer sobre psicología criminal o sociología. Es muy interesante el abordaje sobre la delincuencia juvenil y sus causas. Aún teniendo en cuenta que el autor se limita a un determinado grupo de jóvenes en una sociedad específica, puede ser aplicado o analizado junto a otras lecturas respecto al surgimiento y desarrollo de la delincuencia.