ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines three key areas where the authors think that existing neutralization research has strayed too far from the original intents of neutralization theory as outlined by Gresham Sykes and David Matza's original writings and offers suggestions for ways forward. The chapter suggests that the debate over chronological ordering be laid to rest and Matza's concept of soft determinism be accepted for characterizing the relationship between neutralizations and criminal acts. It focuses on future researchers to transcend the criminological canon and link Sykes and Matza's work to the broader field of identity studies in psychology and other fields. Since Sykes and Matza explicitly argued that neutralizations were a product of wider society and not the idiosyncratic beliefs of deviants, the authors urge future research to explore neutralizations role in the culture's macro-narratives, as well as individual beliefs.
