Damnation and Deviance: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of FailureThe Calvinist view that man is predestined to be among the elect or the damned has profoundly influenced not only our views of criminals and deviants, but also the theoretical basis of correctional methods and psychotherapeutic techniques. In this provocative and original volume, Mordechai Rotenberg examines the impact of Protestant doctrine on Western theories of deviance. He explores the inherent contradiction between Protestant ethics, with its view of human nature as predestinated, and the "people-changing" sciences.Rotenberg presents empirical studies that show how people's tendency to label themselves and others as deviant can be predicted on the basis of their exposure to Western socialization. He contrasts alienating individuals, the result of competitiveness and exaggerated independence fostered by socialization in Protestant societies, to the reciprocal individualism of Hassidic, Japanese, and other non-Western cultures. Examining the Protestant "bias" of Western behavioral sciences, Rotenberg examines modern theories of deviance and proposes alternative models. He compares traditional past-oriented insight therapy, grounded in Calvinist methods of introspection, self-torment, and conversion, with Hassidic notions of redemption and salvation."Rotenberg provides important historical and sociological insights into the intellectual origins of modern theories of deviance. His argument that Western behavioral science retains a Calvinist view of humanity will force most scholars to examine anew the assumptions and foundations of their own theories."--Gerald N. Grob, Rutgers University"A highly original work, which should be of great interest to anyone concerned with relevant behavior. It shows how macro-definitions in a society tend to lead people to think about themselves and their ills in certain ways--and thus to deviate in certain ways."--Richard A. Cloward, co-author, Regulating the Poor: The Functions of Public Welfare |
Contents
| 5 | |
A SocioHistorical | |
Differential Insensitivity and the Myth of | |
The Antilabeling Crusade and Selflabeling | |
Empirical Explorations of Indicative Labeling | |
Contingent Being and the ActionReaction | |
Alienating Individualism and Reciprocal | |
The Challenge of Desirable Dependency | |
Assessing Protestantism Egocentrism and Loneliness | |
The Psychologization of Conversion | |
The Hassidic Doctrine of Sparks | |
The Prohibition of Retrospective Selftorture | |
Conclusion and Summary | |
Bibliography | |
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Common terms and phrases
according actor alienating individualism American analysis analysis of variance behavior believed Besht Buber C-nAch Calvinism Calvinist categoric Chapter Cleckley compared concept conversion criminal culture damnation damned Degradation Ceremonies delinquents derogatory labeling described desensitization deviance devil differential insensitivity disorder doctrine of predestination dualism dysfunctional insensitivities E/C-nAch Eastern patients elect evil example failure feelings Goffman groups Hassidic Humanistic Psychology ibid independent variable indicative labeling individualistic inmates innate involvement irreversible Israelis kibbutz labeling theory loneliness mental patients metaphor methods moshav need achievement negative neurosis neurotic old patients one’s paradigm perception person perspective physiological present presumed primary prison Protestant Ethic Protestantism Psychology psychopaths psychosomatic psychotherapy Puritan questionnaire reactions reactivity reciprocal individualism refers responses result retrospective role Rotenberg salvation Sarbin schizophrenic secondary self-identity self-labeling self-torture sensitivity shocks significant Similarly Social Darwinism social insensitivities social labeling society specific stimulus stress subjects success Synanon therapy total institutions Western York