Culture Efficacy: An Alternative to Collective Efficacy

Cultural efficacy (Abril, forthcoming, (a) & (b)) suggests cultural values in conjunction with cultural identity work to (1) restrain individuals from deviant behavior while (2) motivating each to respond to community deviance. In this discussion of cultural efficacy within an American Indian community, the theory of collective efficacy (Sampson, Roaenbush & Earls, 1997) is analyzed. Abril argues cultural efficacy is a more robust construct in tribal communities to better understand community-level dynamics that might intercede in the prevention (or amelioration) of criminogenic community circumstances. A variety of statistical analyses and cultural interpretive techniques are used to support this idea. Directions for future research using cultural efficacy are provided.