Book Reviews : Criminology in Transition (Essays in honour of Hermann Mannheim) Edited by Tadeusz Grygier, Howard Jones and John C. Spencer Published by Tavistock Publications (under the auspices of the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Delinquency) 1965 45s

Published date01 June 1966
Date01 June 1966
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1177/026455056601200210
Subject MatterArticles
72
BOOK
REVIEWS
Criminology
in
Transition
(Essays
in
honour
of
Hermann
Mannheim)
Edited
by
Tadeusz
Grygier,
Howard
Jones
and
John
C.
Spencer
Published
by
Tavistock
Publications
(under
the
auspices
of the
Institute
for
the
Study
and
Treatment
of
Delinquency)
1965
45s.
When
asked
to
review
this
book
I
recalled
my
two
years
at
L.S.E.
when
in
the
late
1940s
I
was
a
humble
student
in
Dr.
Mannheim’s
Criminology
Seminars.
To
my
great
pride
an
essay
of
mine
on
&dquo;The
Objects
of
Punishment&dquo;
was
handed
back
with
a
little
comment
&dquo;A
very
interesting
and
careful
piece
of
work&dquo;.
This
and
other
marginal
notes
provide
a
small
but
treasured
example
of
the
kindness
and
thoroughness
of
Dr.
Mannheim
referred
to
by
the
editors.
Prolonging
this
reminiscence
further,
I
re-read
this
essay
recently
and
was
impressed
by
the
standards
of
those
student
days.
I
could
not
easily
produce
a
piece
of
work
like
that
now.
After
16
years
in
the
probation
service
this
may
sound
strange
but
it
shows
that
experience
in
itself,
far
from
diminishing
the
need
for
reading
and
writing,
emphasises
that
social
workers
must
of
necessity
read,
write,
confer
and
think
if
they
are
to
avoid
stagnation.
The
book’s
title
is
aptly
chosen
but
it
may
not
seem
relevant
to
the
probation
service.
Several
years
ago,
John
Woolfenden,
then
Principal
Probation
Officer
of
Liverpool,
was
contributing
articles
to
PROBATION
in
which
he
stressed
that
we
were
concerned
with
criminology.
In
common
with
other,
younger
trained
people,
I
giggled
at
this
curious
relic
of
the
authoritarian
do-gooder.
Now,
how-
ever,
as
the
service
moves
into
a
new
role,
I
find
I
agree
with
Mr.
Woolfenden’s
idea,
although
perhaps
I
reach
the
same
conclusion
for
different
reasons.
The
probation
service
and
its
members
face
their
own
transition.
It
is
fair
then
to
examine
this
book
to
see
if
it
helps
us
in
this
task.
I
suggest
it
does.
The
ideas,
methods
and
criticisms
contained
in
it
are
so
useful
and
effective
that
we
can
reverse
the
measurement.
How
capable
is
the
probation
service
of
under-
standing
the
problems
and
opportunities
of
the
next
generation?
How
willing
is
it
to
change?
Or
will
it
always
want
to
precede
each
new
white
paper
with
a
red
flag?
Perhaps
the
peak
of the
book,
adroitly
placed
in
the
middle,
is
Grygier’s
essay-&dquo;an
irregular
undigested
piece&dquo;-called
&dquo;The
Concept
of
Social
Progres-
sion&dquo;.
Broken
into
sections
and
stringing
ideas
along,
this
has
a
knobbly
effect
and
it
is
not
always
easy
to
comprehend.
It
is
tempting
to
convert
its
abstract
discussion
into
the
conventional
wisdom
of
proverbs.
&dquo;Birds
of
a
feather&dquo;
or
&dquo;Give
a
dog
a
bad
name&dquo;
seem
easier
ways
of
saying
&dquo;a
phenomenon
contribu-
table
to
a
dynamic,
statistically
measurable
force
which
exerts
a
pressure
on
individuals
in
a
group
to
dissociate
themselves
from
society
as
a
whole&dquo;.
Yet,
this
definition
of
social
progression,
properly
amplified
illuminates
the
significance
of
group
influences
which
is
of
immense
importance
for
both
sentencing
and
treatment.
Grygier
and
others
assert
that
for
too
long
criminology
has
pursued
rather
abortively
the
elusive
causes
of crime.
Having
discovered
merely
that
we
have
a
multiplicity
of
causes
it
is
now
time
to
give
attention
to
treatment
needs
and
methods.
This
theme
is
followed
by
several
contributors.
In
his
optimistic,
almost
racy
chapter,
Norval
Morris
extends
&dquo;Prison
in
Evolution&dquo;
into
many
new
fields
which
may
frighten
public
and
penal
workers
alike.
To
operate
such
a
complex

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