Criminology : explaining crime and its context

This highly acclaimed criminology text presents an up-to-date review of rational choice theories, including deterrence, shaming and routine activities. It also incorporates current examples of deterrence research regarding domestic violence, drunk driving and capital punishment, and features thought-provoking discussion of the relativity of crime. The authors explore the crime problem, its context, and causes of crime. The organization of the text reflects the fact that the etiology of crime must be at the heart of criminology. It examines contemporary efforts to redefine crime by focusing on family violence, hate crimes, white-collar misconduct with violent consequences, and other forms of human behavior often neglected by criminologists. Extensive discussion of evolving laws are included, and while the prevalence of the scientific method in the field of criminology is highlighted, the impact of ideology on explanations of crime is the cornerstone of the book. Comprehensive introductory text, emphasizing the ideology of crime. Boxes throughout each chapter highlight the text with figures, features and highlights. Each chapter concludes with key terms and concepts, key criminologists, key cases. Cover Page......Page 8 Title Page......Page 2 Copyright Page......Page 3 Dedication......Page 4 Preface......Page 6 Contents......Page 10 Part I: Foundations for Criminology......Page 18 1 Crime and Criminology......Page 20 Criminology as Science......Page 25 Ideology within Criminology......Page 26 The "Crime" in Criminology......Page 29 Paradigms in Criminology......Page 34 Policy and Criminology......Page 37 Summary......Page 38 The Concept of Law......Page 44 The Criminal Justice System......Page 66 Goals of Criminal Justice......Page 67 Summary......Page 71 3 Production of Crime Statistics......Page 76 Review of Elementary Research Methodology......Page 77 Comparison of UCR, SRD, and NCVS Data Sources......Page 106 History of Official Crime Statistics......Page 79 Description of the Uniform Crime Reports......Page 81 A New Look to the UCR: NIBRS–National Incident-Based Reporting System......Page 88 Alternative Measures of Crime......Page 92 Summary......Page 107 Volume of Crime: Uniform Crime Reports......Page 116 Volume of Crime: National Crime Victimization Survey......Page 121 Volume of Crime: Self-Report Studies......Page 123 Distribution of Crime by Gender......Page 125 Distribution of Crime by Age......Page 133 Distribution of Crime by Race......Page 136 Distribution of Crime by Social Class......Page 137 Victims of Crime......Page 140 Summary......Page 144 Part II: Theories of Crime......Page 150 5 Deterrence and Rational Choice Theories of Crime......Page 152 Preclassical Views of Crime......Page 153 The Classical School of Criminology......Page 156 Contemporary Deterrence Theory......Page 165 Conceptualizing Deterrence......Page 168 A Rational Choice Perspective......Page 188 How Rational Is Choice?......Page 194 Summary......Page 198 6 Biogenic and Psychogenic Theories of Crime......Page 210 Criminal Heredity: The Bad Seed Theory......Page 222 Contemporary Biological Perspectives......Page 224 Psychogenic Theories of Crime......Page 237 Psychoanalytic Theories......Page 238 Personality Theories......Page 240 Integrating Psychological Explanations......Page 244 Summary......Page 245 7 Social Structure Theories of Crime......Page 252 Strain Theories......Page 254 Assessing Strain Theories......Page 270 Policy Implications......Page 274 Social Ecology......Page 275 Summary......Page 282 8 Social Process Theories of Crime......Page 290 Learning Criminal Behavior......Page 291 Culture Conflict and Crime......Page 301 Social Control and Crime......Page 310 Summary......Page 327 9 Social Reaction Theories of Crime......Page 336 Labeling Theory......Page 338 Roots of Critical Criminology......Page 352 Summary......Page 368 10 Recent Developments in Criminological Theory......Page 374 Integrated Theoretical Models......Page 375 The Criminal Career Debate......Page 389 Developmental and Lifecourse Criminology......Page 393 Summary......Page 398 Part III: Types of Crime......Page 406 11 Violent Crime......Page 408 Index Crimes: Murder, Assault, and Rape......Page 410 Family Violence......Page 425 Corporate, Government, and Professional Violence......Page 429 Summary......Page 433 Acquisitiveness and Theft......Page 442 Social Conditions and Theft......Page 443 The Law of Theft......Page 444 Background of White-Collar Crime......Page 458 Forms of White-Collar Crime......Page 459 Other Characteristics of White-Collar Crime......Page 461 Crooked Corporations and Thieving Executives......Page 462 Criminological Theory and White-Collar Crime......Page 463 Summary......Page 464 Crimes without Victims......Page 470 Pornography......Page 471 Motorcycle Helmets......Page 472 Pros and Cons......Page 473 Physician-Assisted Suicide......Page 474 Prostitution—Sex Work......Page 476 Drug Offenses......Page 480 Victims without Crimes......Page 490 Cigarette Smoking......Page 491 Summary......Page 492 Appendix to Chapter 4......Page 500 Name Index......Page 502 Subject Index......Page 516 About the Authors......Page 544