The Society of Captives; first published in 1958; is a classic of modern criminology and one of the most important books ever written about prison.Gresham Sykes wrote the book at the height of the Cold War; motivated by the world's experience of fascism and communism to study the closest thing to a totalitarian system in American life: a maximum security prison. His analysis calls into question the extent to which prisons can succeed in their attempts to control every facet of life--or whether the strong bonds between prisoners make it impossible to run a prison without finding ways of "accommodating" the prisoners.Re-released now with a new introduction by Bruce Western and a new epilogue by the author; The Society of Captives will continue to serve as an indispensable text for coming to terms with the nature of modern power.
#337957 in Books Princeton. Princeton UP 2002-08-25Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.09 x 6.12 x 9.32l; 1.44 #File Name: 0691102775472 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. What and Who Makes a Nation?By Lionel S. TaylorAmerican Crucible looks at what it means to be an American in the context of the ever changing nature of the Idea of what it means to be an American as well as what it means to be a White American. As it turns out this definition has been very important in determining what opportunities have been open in American Society. This will come as not surprise to any student of American history but what makes this book uniques is that it traces the concept of Americanness from the time of Theodore Roosevelt to the Clinton era after the backlash of the civil-rights era. Can the nation be brought together along racial and national lines as it has been done in the past? Or will a new more inclusive version of nationalism come into play to bind the nation together? This is the issue that American Crucible takes up in a highly detailed and very readable way.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy JIANQIAO MAGreat book. Worth reading.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful.By iwillnotgofreeThank you so much! This book was shipped to me immediately and I received it in great condition. Everything was as described; and I am so pleased with my interaction with this vendor.