Japan as a Low-Crime Nation

Leonardsen, D.

Criminologists have despaired that modernization and crime are inseparable. The more modern we become, the more criminal. Japan has long been seen as an exception to the rule. The reasons for this, however, have not been well understood. In this book, the independent value of culture is explored to reveal new insights. The author finds that while it remains the case that crime reduction may come at some cost to individual autonomy, the 'West' can learn from Japan to reduce the social harm of too much freedom. Instead of endless crime prevention programs through 'social engineering', policy makers could pay more attention to sociological insights concerning responsibility, obligations and collective identities.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2004-01-01

Format: Paperback

ISBN-13: 9781349520442

DOI: 10.1057/9780230511538

Dimensions: 216cm x140cm

Pages: 227