Table of Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Chapter 1 What Is Theory? 1
What Is Theory? 1
What Is Good Theory? 2
What Kinds of Theories Are There? 3
Levels of Explanation 4
The Classification of Theory 4
Theory-Then-Research Versus Research-Then-Theory 5
How Do Criminologists Conduct Research? 5
Ethics in Criminological Research 11
Summary 15
Discussion Questions 15
References 16
Chapter 2 Measuring the Extent of Crime 17
The Uniform Crime Reports 18
Criticisms of the UCR 23
The National Incident-Based Reporting System 26
Self-Report Surveys 27
The National Crime Victimization Survey 30
The Comparability of the UCR, SRS, and NCVS 31
Neglected Areas of Crime 33
Summary 39
Discussion Questions 40
References 40
Chapter 3 Crime Victimizations 43
Why Study Crime Victims? 43
Victimization Theories 47
Helping Crime Victims 52
Strategies to Prevent Criminal Victimizations 56
Summary 59
Discussion Questions 60
References 60
Chapter 4 The Classical School of Thought 63
The Development of Rational Choice Theory 65
A Critical Analysis of the Classical Period 71
Classical Theory Revisited in the 1970s 72
Summary 77
Shortcomings of the Theories 78
Discussion Questions 78
References 79
Chapter 5 Trait Theories 81
Foundations of Trait Theories 84
From Philosophy to Science 84
The Positivistic School on Crime Causation 85
The Influence of Evolution on the Study of Crime 86
Crime and its Biological Nexus 89
Early Theories of Biological Positivism 89
Body Typologies 90
Chromosome Studies 91
Twin Studies: Monozygotic Versus Dizygotic 92
Adoption Studies 92
Neurochemical Mechanisms 93
Diet and Nutrition 93
Psychological Trait Theories 94
Psychoanalytic- Theory 95
Moral Development and Crime 95
Developing the Theory of Moral Development 96
Intelligence and Crime Studies 97
Crime and Human Nature 99
Race, IQ, and Crime 99
Problems with Biological Research 100
Summary 102
Shortcomings of the Theories 103
Discussion Questions 103
References 103
Chapter 6 Social Structure Theories: Emphasis on the Social Structure 107
Development of Sociological Criminology 109
Socioeconomic Structure and Crime 117
Social Structure Theories 121
The American Dream and Strain Theory 128
Subcultural (Cultural Deviance) Theories 140
Differential Opportunity Theory 146
Summary 153
Shortcomings of the Theories 154
Discussion Questions 154
References 155
Cases Cited 159
Chapter 7 Social Processing Theories: Emphasis on Socialization 161
Socialization and Crime 163
Toward a Social Processing Explanation 169
Learning Theories 169
Control Theories 176
Theories of Personal and Social Controls 177
Labeling Theories 185
Theory Integration 195
Summary 199
Shortcomings of the Theories 200
Discussion Questions 200
References 201
Chapter 8 Conflict Theories 207
The Occupy Movement 208
Historical Development of Critical Criminology 210
Marxist Criminology 211
The Creation of Critical Criminology 211
Instrumental and Structural Marxism 216
Power Threat Theory 217
Radical Criminology 218
The New Criminology 219
Left Realism 219
Peacemaking Criminology 221
The Phenomenological School 221
Feminist Criminology 222
Power-Control Theory 224
Postmodern Criminology 225
Cultural Criminology 226
Green Criminology 227
Summary 229
Shortcomings of the Theories 230
Discussion Questions 230
References 230
Chapter 9 The Future of Criminological Theory 235
References 240
Glossary 241
Index 259
