Homicide in the United States. by H. C. BrearleyReview by: A. W. StearnsSocial Forces, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Dec., 1932), pp. 305-306Published by: Oxford University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2569794 .

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LIBRARY AND WORKSHOP 305

erty and workmen's compensation in numbers io and zo; income, income groups, and purchasing power in I, iS, I5, I8, o0, zI, 25; rate structure and transportation facilities in 7 and iL; social-industrial relations with its many ramifications such as factors in plant location, centralization versus decentralization of industry, mass production, shop fabrication, industrial housing, and the labor supply in numbers 6, 7, I-S, I9, 2.4, B, F; installment buying in i8; and cost accounting in IO.

Or take sociology. Here we find under demography, the application of theories concerning population increase, density, concentration and deconcentration, mo- bility, the Negro population in tentative reports numbers I, 5, 7, 8, ii, IS; ecology including population patterns, segrega- tion, blighted areas and slums in numbers 8, IS, 2i, B; the community, the neigh- borhood, and recreation in numbers I, 5, 6, 9, ii, it, I9, D; the family-its place in the social order, its income, housing, the industrial and the farm family, the Negro family, the child and the home in num- bers I, 9, II, IS, I3, I7, i8, I9, 2.0, zI, 2.3, A, B; social organization and social control with particular reference to organ- ization and control through housing devel- opments, social interaction, social con- sciousness, social values, culture pattern, social pathology, public welfare and social work, standard of living, race, in numbers I, 6, II, I9, 2.0, 'I, A, B, E. In addition to these, political science, human geog- raphy, psychology, anthropology, and history are also called upon for their contributions.

Nor has the field of social research been neglected. Here the need for coordina- tion of the social sciences in their applica- tion is so marked that the studies could hardly be classified according to disci- plines. Studies already made, many of which were statistical, included studies of

credit (I3), social surveys (i), Negro housing (2i), housing and family life (23), the family (23), Alabama families (z3), home ownership (z5). Studies suggested included, among others: increased use of the census and field studies (i), relation of land costs to types of dwellings (i), research in transportation, the family, taxation, social legislation, population, industrial decentralization (7), surveys of blighted areas (8), land values in relation to popula- tion patterns, zoning, taxation, etc. (IS),

land economics (zo), various socio-eco- nomic problems such as child develop- ment, domestic relationships, etc. (B), additional researches in credit, legislation, public utilities, taxation, industrial hous- ing, blighted areas and slums, housing and public welfare, with special reference to their relation to good housing (B), and the need for a housing research found- ation (B). Tentative report E took up the question of research potentialities.

Here then is the challenge. What shall we do with it?

HOMICIDE IN THE UNITED STATES. By H. C. Brearley. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, I932.. 2.49 pp. $z.50-

Any book with the above title is wel- come to students of criminology, for as the author points out in his introduction, literature on this subject is very scant. With all the dramatic presentation of murder by newspapers and popular fiction the actual data available for forming scientific judgments are not extenlsive.

The books begins with a general survey of the homicide problem covering all fields and calling particular attention to homicide as a subject of study not only for itself, but for the whole field of crime. This is especially true because homicide is the only crime where reliable data are available, although they have not been well collated.

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306 SOCIAL FORCES

Then follows a chapter dealing more specifically with homicide in the United States. The author calls attention to the relatively high rate which is still in- creasing, although possible explanations of this increase are reviewed with results which are largely negative. His sum- mnary is as follows:

If, therefore, an attempt is made to understand why the homicide rates of the United States are so much higher than those of other civilized countries, empha- sis should be laid upon the presence in this country of influential folkways or culture patterns, most of them survivals of more barbarous days, when human life was little esteemed.

A study of specific slayings leads the author to the conclusion that we need better regulations regarding the sale of firearms and their concealed possession. The reviewer is not entirely convinced by the arguments presented of the impor- tance of such regulations, and the conclu- sions in this chapter would seem to be in some degree opposed to the conclusion quoted above as to the causes of murder in the United States.

A survey of opinions as to personality of slayers concludes with a belief that they are "weak in conflict." The opinions of divers students of homicide are given at- tempting to classify homicides psycho- logically. These psychological classifi- cations seem quite involved compared with the more obvious cultural groupings found among homicides. It would seem that too much attention is paid by the author to philosophical formulas rather than to data concerning studies of murderers.

There is a chapter entitled "The Negro and Homicide" which is excellent and extremely fair. After reviewing consid- erable material dealing with this matter the author thinks that it is possible that if the same standards of comparison were used there would be found relatively little racial difference.

Abundant material is presented showing failure to properly punish homicide in the United States and the author concludes after examination that the weight of evi- dence is against capital punishment. In fact, he concludes with the statement that little reliance can be placed upon punishment, improvement depending more upon changing attitudes and values.

A comparison of homicide with other social phenomena shows little correlation except that there seems to be a distinct relation between the increase of homicide and rapid growth of a community, espe- cially of a city.

Chapter nine is one of the longest in the book, occupying thirty-nine pages and deals with seasonal variations in homi- cide. This chapter is rather tedious and seems somewhat out of proportion. As might be assumed before reading it con- cludes that there is little if any correlation.

The book concludes with a chapter on the preparation of data giving numerous statistical tables especially a mass of data giving number of homicides in various states and counties. This material has been used throughout the book for pur- poses of exposition. There is an adequate bibliography and a good index.

On the whole this book is excellent and should be very welcome. It would per- haps have been better if original studies had been used for reference rather than so many newspaper and magazine articles, but the material has been used temperately and has been carefully selected.

A. W. STEARNS.

The Commonwealth of Massacbhsetts, Department of Correction.

TAXATION IN VIRGINIA. By W. H. Stauffer. New York: The Century Company for the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences, University of Virginia, I93I. 309 PP. $4.00.

Dr. Stauffer, who is economist in the State Department of Taxation, here tells

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