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Delinquency in the Mind of an Organization

angle{at}acay.com.au

Chris Fairall

ccfairall{at}optusnet.com.au

This article focuses on the work of a therapeutic unit for young males held in custody, in its organizational context. A particular case is elaborated as evidence of the operation of what the authors refer to as the `delinquent ego' of the organization. This organizational mentality has little space for meaningfully attending to the young people (detainees) in its care or for imagining what might be in their best rehabilitative interest, mirroring and repeating aspects of the history and delinquent mentality of its juvenile clientele. The place of the `special unit' in the mind of the parent organization, and the unconscious dialectic underpinning the relationship between the two, is considered in the light of this.

Key Words: therapeutic unit • young male offenders • delinquency • organizational culture • relationships

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Group Analysis, Vol. 40, No. 4, 538-550 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0533316407083335


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Gleeson, A. Articles by Fairall, C. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?