Bates

IBS Nouule 7

Chaptei 7 Biscussion Questions

7.1
The uecisions involveu in acquiiing auequacy in the ielevant uisciplines ielevant to
a given pioblem aie:

7.2
Ciime Rates in 0ilanuo 2uuu-2u12
Theoiy one: Ciime is coiielateu with financial stability; the ciisis of 2uu6 anu the
social instability causeu by the collapse of majoi financial leu to inciease muiueis
anu iobbeiies uuiing the yeais uiiectly effecteu (2uu6 - 2uu9).

Theoiy two: Nost ciiminal activity ueclineu oi stabilizeu uuiing the ten yeai peiiou
because uuiing that time, 0iange county gieatly expanueu its jail system, allowing
the city to keep thiee times as many ciiminals off the stieet in 2u12 (< 8,Suu) than
weie possible in 2uuu ( > SSuu).

7.S
Local officials talk about bettei euucational piocesses, gieatei economic stability,
moie effective police woik, significantly incieaseu piobationaiy anu paiole
methouology, anu moie auvanceu incaiceiation iehabilitative seivices. These iueas
anu theoiies ieflect a geneializeu back-slapping appioach to the pioblem. The
ieality is that no one knows because no one knows why people commit ciimes in the
fiist place, though sociologists have suggesteu this anu psychologists have suggesteu
that; though ciiminologists have stuuieu inuiviuuals anu have theii own theoiies at
ouus with the pievious two. Theie has yet to be a theoiy that explains ciime
conclusively, eithei its causes oi its ueteiiants.
7.4
uaps in ieseaich can be uiscoveieu by completing a compiehensive liteiatuie
ieview anu then applying Szotstack's Typology of Selecteu Theoiies, asking the "S
'W' Questions:" Who (agency). What (action) . Why (uecision making). When (time
path). Wheie (geneialize). This has the effect of allowing the inteiuisiciplinaiian to
foimulate a theoiy ueuuctively. by type.

7.S QualitativeQuantitative ieseaich methouology is - at least in my fielu: the social
sciences - iaiely placeu in this eitheioi fiamewoik. Inueeu, the authoi wiites on
this issue that "the uebate is laigely ovei" (2u8). This uiscussion question is anothei
one of those !"#$%&'(#)'!"(&* Faii enoughmaybe it's a tiick question.

Ciime is stuuieu quantitatively so that iaw uata can be gatheieu anu analyzeu,
theoiies aie put foiwaiu to explain the uata, then moie uata is gatheieu anu the
positeu theoiy is testeu against the new infoimation. Both Anu.

7.6
If you piefei quantitative, you aie assuming that statistics anu numeiical
infoimation is somehow "bettei" than theoietical analysis. If you piefei qualitative,
peihaps you aie leaning veiy heavily on one uiscipline's piefeiieu tools iathei than
taking an inteiuisciplinaiy appioach.

7.7
Anothei weiiu question: what the authoi calls a postmouein "methou" veisus a
moueinist "methou" is in ieality uiffeient coie philosophies that uo effect the type of
ieseaich a scholai is willing to engage in. Bowevei. they aie not philosophies easily
switcheu between, as if it weie possible oi even $"&,(#-." to change fiom one to the
othei, like putting on a suit oi taking off a lab coat. I am a postmoueinist anu believe
that ieality is composeu anu cieateu by the authois of oui coipoiate stoiy.
Theiefoie, I think postmoueinism is the best appioach foi eveiy pioblem (though I
neeu to unueistanu othei philosophies in oiuei to unueistanu them anu engage in
uialogue).

7.8
uoou scholaiship always pioviues in-text eviuence of uisciplinaiy auequacy.

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