Leistungsverhältnis und Konkurrenzindividualismus – Zur Erklärung der Entwicklung der Kriminalität und des Strafens in Westeuropa, U.S.A. und Japan

Zusammenfassung

Der rapide Kriminalitätsanstieg in Westeuropa und in den U.S.A. und die seit langem stagnierende Kriminalitätsentwicklung in Japan sowie der „Zug zur Milde“ in der westeuropäischen Strafgesetzgebung und -anwendung werden ebenso analysiert wie die Wellenbewegung von scharfer Sanktionierung über Milderung zurück zur Härte in den U.S.A. und die anhaltend strenge soziale Kontrolle in Japan. Der Zusammenhang dieser Entwicklungen von 1950 bis in die Mitte der 80er Jahre mit Änderungen von Leistungs- und Machtverhältnissen, Wohlstands- und Ungleichheitstrends sowie mit Unterschieden der Durchsetzung von „Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft“ wird untersucht.

Summary

The rise in criminality in Western Europe is the result of moderate competitive individualism and especially of growing political participation. The dominant tendency towards mitigation during partially increasing new social control is basically caused by loss of authority in Western Europe. In the USA the extremely well-developed competitive individualism sends criminality soaring. Opposed to this, the effects of only slight political participation which are supposed to check criminality are too small to swing the trend round in a new direction. The increase in punishment in the USA is a result of the successful defence of authority and the power regained by the political and industrial leaders.

The rise in criminality in Western Europe and the USA is an unintended and unwelcome result of highly thought-of economical and political processes, namely an increase in the number of opportunities to participate politically in Western Europe and also in a certain way of competitive individualism in the USA. The result, criminality, occurs because improvements in political and economic living conditions, and individualism always lead to more freedom of action and that always means: more freedom to elect for deviance, for criminal action too.

The crime-reducing effects of less political participation and the lack of competitive individualism result in a high degree of conformity in Japan. On the other hand successful defence of authority in connection with the strong feeling of being part of a group in Japanese society leads to strict social control and further curbing of criminality.