Examining the use of corporal punishment in different settings across cultures, this revealing volume looks at why some societies accept this type of punishment, some permit it in certain situations, and some reject it altogether.
To many, spanking a child or paddling a student is as outmoded as flogging a prisoner. Yet in many places worldwide, including the United States, corporal punishment is still practiced in the home, at school, in religious institutions, and in prisons, and is either permitted in specific circumstances or fully accepted in all venues.
This unique volume provides an insightful research-based overview of corporal punishment as implemented in a variety of venues and cultures. It is the first comprehensive analysis of practices that while often controversial, remain deeply ingrained in human culture.
Corporal Punishment defines what may be humanity's oldest form of punishment both historically and in its contemporary forms, then looks at how it is currently applied to children, students, the incarcerated, and in religious settings. A series of case studies examines corporal punishment in specific regions of Bolivia, the Bahamas, Nigeria, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia to understand why certain societies have rejected this once universal approach while others continue to accept it, either within limits or without reservation.
Highlights
• Focuses exclusively on corporal punishment in all forms in a variety of institutions
• Explores the various differences across cultures that either discourage or promote the use of corporal punishment
• Examines the practice of inflicting pain as a part of religious practices, including self-infliction
Matthew Pate, PhD, is senior research fellow and lecturer for the Violence Research Group at the University at Albany, State University of New York, where he earned his doctorate. He also holds advanced degrees in sociology and environmental design. His current research focuses on comparative criminal justice with an emphasis on punishment practices.
Laurie A. Gould, PhD, is assistant professor of justice studies at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro. She was previously assistant professor at the University of Texas, Arlington. Gould has published on a variety of topics in corrections including the use of corporal punishment by the international community and the supervision of female offenders in the community.
Endorsements
"Corporal punishment is one of the oldest expressions of human love and wrath and yet we know so little about it. Pate and Gould’s volume is an antidote to our ignorance and misperceptions. Corporal Punishment around the World will remain the definite treatise on the changing role of corporal punishment in world civilizations in the years to come. This scholarly work presented in an engaging style skillfully analyzes the infliction of physical pain as a social discipline at the intersection of global history and local cultures. It is a must read for both proponents and opponents of corporal punishment in our days and will appeal to students of history, law, and social sciences. Indeed, it will be indispensable to anyone who seeks to understand why we find hope and satisfaction in the temporary, deliberate humiliation of a few and why corporal punishment is so paradoxically regulated as a threat in our homes, schools, and communities."—Hung-En Sung, PhD, Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
"Although corporal punishment is frequently condemned as barbaric and worse, it nevertheless endures in a variety of institutions in countries around the world. In this scholarly investigation Pate and Gould examine what social, economic, political, and cultural circumstances permit corporal punishment to endure. Along the way they look at corporal punishment as a religious practice, a feature of domestic relations at home, a tool of discipline in education, and an ordering mechanism in other formal organizations. Firmly grounded in rich descriptions of corporal punishment practices in six nations in Africa, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean, the authors develop an account for the ubiquity and persistence of corporal punishment that builds on the economic inequalities and ethno-linguistic differences that exist in many societies. Overall, Pate and Gould convincingly reveal corporal punishment as a nuanced mechanism of social ordering. Their careful scrutiny of a too often ignored aspect of modern penalty and discipline will certainly generate much fruitful debate."—Gregory J. Howard, Associate Professor of Sociology, Western Michigan University
"Sets and defines the highest standard for the study of corporal punishment around the world. This book provides a fascinating look into the how, what, where, when and why of the world’s longest lasting form of discipline and punishment. Pate and Gould lay the foundation for further research in a field that some may simply find too painful to consider."—Peter Moskos, Associate Professor, Department of Law, Police Science, and Criminal Justice Administration, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Author of Cop in the Hood and In Defense of Flogging
