Neighborhood Justice in Capitalist Society: The Expansion of the Informal State

Source: (1987) Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 225p.

Following a characterization of contemporary American capitalism, the nature of class conflict, and hegemony in which neighborhood dispute resolution (NDR) is embedded, the author argues that the primarily government-sponsored mechanisms of NDR are largely institutions of State political and social control. It is argued that NDR falsely affirms the neighborhood as the basis of justice in the community, presents a contrived idea of the community and collective self-help, uses community culture as a form of regulation, and distracts attention from broader community issues.