Little did I expect in 1964 that Delinquency and Drift would remain an important work more than half a century later. It is heartening that the ideas expressed continue to have relevance for todays study of crime and delinquency. I enjoyed reading the volume and I hope others will as well.
David Matza, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley
For those unfamiliar with David Matzas work, this thoughtful collection serves as an essential introduction. For those who know his workor think they doit serves as a reminder of how important Matzas contribution has been. This is a timely and welcome exploration of the work of one of the most enduring criminologists of our time.
Elliott Currie, Professor, University of California, Irvine
A remarkable tribute to the importance of the work of David Matza to both the development and future of the conceptualization of deviance and crime. While many festschrifts glorify the past and emphasize the contributions of a scholars work to the present, these essays provide a framework for diverse and innovative research based on Matzas insights.
Marvin Krohn, Professor, University of Florida
Delinquency and Drift Revisited
Fifty years ago, David Matza wrote Delinquency and Drift, challenging the ways people thought about the development of criminals. Today, Delinquency and Drift Revisited reminds criminologists that they ignore Matzas writings at their own intellectual peril.
Matzas work shows his insights on a range of core criminological issues, such as: the complex nature of culture and its connection to criminality; the extent to which rule-breakers are truly different from the rest of us; the importance of focusing on human agency in understanding the subjective side of offending; the interaction of propensity and peer influences in criminal involvement; the role of the state in signifying individuals as deviant and entrapping them in criminal roles; and the processes that lead offenders to desist from crime.
This volume was not written to pay homage to Matza. Rather, it was undertaken to show how his ideas remain relevant to criminology today by continuing to question conventional wisdom, by making us pay attention to realities we have overlooked, and by inspiring us to theorize more innovatively.
Thomas G. Blomberg is Dean and Sheldon L. Messinger Professor of Criminology and Executive Director of the Center for Criminology and Public Policy in the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University.
Francis T. Cullen is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Associate in the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati.
Christoffer Carlsson has a Ph.D. in criminology from Stockholm University, Sweden, and is a researcher in criminology at The Institute for Futures Studies in Stockholm.
Cheryl Lero Jonson is Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Xavier University.
SERIES EDITORS
Advances in Criminological Theory
Francis T. Cullen
University of Cincinnati
Freda Adler
University of Pennsylvania
William S. Laufer
University of Pennsylvania
First published 2018
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Blomberg, Thomas G., editor.
Title: Delinquency and drift revisited : the criminology of David Matza
and beyond / Thomas G. Blomberg, Frank Cullen, Christoffer Carlson,
Cheryl Lero Jonson, editors.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2017. | Series: Advances in
criminological theory ; volume 21
Identifiers: LCCN 2017005865 | ISBN 9781412865425 (hardback)
Subjects: LCSH: Matza, David. Delinquency and drift. | Juvenile
delinquency. | Criminology.
Classification: LCC HV9069.M373 D45 2017 | DDC 364.360973dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017005865
ISBN: 978-1-4128-6542-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-15796-2 (ebk)
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by Apex CoVantage, LLC
David Matza is a mysterious figure to most criminologists. In little more than a decadestarting with Techniques of Neutralization in 1957 and ending with Becoming Deviant in 1969he contributed classic works that had a defining influence on the field. Thereafter, however, Matza largely desisted from criminology and, in his later years, became a recluse. Surprisingly, he made a rare appearance at a session honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of Delinquency and Drift (1964), which was held in his honor at the 2014 meeting of the American Society of Criminology in San Francisco, close to where he resides. My coeditor, Tom Blomberg, went to considerable lengths to convince David to attend and speak, personally accompanying and transporting his former respected professor to the session. A nice crowd showed up, and the panel proved to be a heartwarming celebration. Alas, those unable to attend this gathering likely have never seen Matzanor are they likely to do so in the future since this event will not be repeated. They will be consigned to know him only through his writings.
For newer generations of criminologists, however, there is an increasing risk that they not only will never meet David Matza but also will not read his writingsexcept perhaps his essay with Gresham Sykes on neutralization techniques that is included in most edited anthologies on criminological theory. Here is a sobering reality: It is the fate of all but the most famous scholars to be forgotten, both personally and professionally. As the production of criminological knowledge burgeons, younger scholars are faced with the inability to read everything. Their reading selections are determined mostly by coercion (what professors assign in classes and on comprehensive examination reading lists) and by self-interest (what can be read that can be tested and result in a publication). For most, taking timesay a weekendto read a classic is not a luxury they seemingly can afford. There are too many video games to play.
