Crime and social control in Asia and the Pacific: an examination of larger social institutions and processes

Asia and the Pacific is a dynamic region of expanding economic development, deepening political reform, and sweeping cultural transformation. Amid rapid, drastic, and multifaceted social change, crime, deviance, and social problems occur in unprecedented volumes, forms, and complexities, posing serious challenges to social control systems in countries throughout the region. This paper examines larger social institutions and processes - capitalism vs. socialism, Eastern civilizations vs. Western development, and democratic forms of government vs. authoritarian leadership - their changing dynamics and possible impacts on crime and social control. Upon examination of each contrast with respect to its past, present, and future, the paper points out that crime and social control will inevitably lie in the fusion of opposing social forces within and without national borders across Asia and the Pacific and around the world.