Understanding Criminology Current Theoretical Debates

by Walklate, Sandra

• ISBN13: 9780335221233
• ISBN10: 0335221238
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-06-01
• Publisher: Open University Press

Summary

What does contemporary criminological theory look like? What impact, if any, does it have on policy? The new edition of this bestselling text updates a key title in the Crime and Justice series, whilst maintaining it's trademark theory-intensive approach to Criminology. In this third edition, the author pays particular attention to the development of the policy agenda under New Labour. The book examines the development of criminological theory over the past twenty five years, with detailed analysis of the relationship between criminological theorizing, criminal justice, social justice, and politics. It also provides: A detailed examination of the role of the media in relation to the fear of crime Expanded discussion of classical criminology, adding discussion of cultural criminology Special reference to young people and victims of crime A critical consideration of current policies concerned with rebalancing the criminal justice system Increased emphasis on issues related to risk and terrorism A comprehensive update of policy and research throughout Understanding Criminology is key reading for students who are new to the discipline, but also contains the rigourous analysis required by all levels of undergraduate student.

Author Biography

Sandra Walklate is Eleanor Rathbone Chair of Sociology at the University of Liverpool.

Table of Contents

Series editor's foreword	p. viii
Preface and acknowledgments to the 3rd edition	p. x
Introduction: understanding some key features of criminology	p. 1
Some domain assumptions within criminology as a discipline	p. 2
Criminology and modernity	p. 2
How to define the criminal	p. 5
What influences talk about crime?	p. 6
What do we know about crime?	p. 7
What is known about criminal victimization?	p. 10
Criminology, politics and criminal justice policy	p. 11
Conclusion: what are the key features of criminology?	p. 14
Further reading	p. 16
Perspectives in criminological theory	p. 17
The behaviour of criminals	p. 17
The criminality of behaviour	p. 22
The criminality of the state	p. 28
Conclusion	p. 36
Further reading	p. 36
Understanding 'right realism'	p. 38
Socio-biological explanations: the work of Wilson and Herrnstein	p. 39
Rational choice theory	p. 42
The routine activity approach	p. 44
Administrative criminology	p. 45
Right realism: a critique	p. 47
Ways of thinking about the family and crime	p. 49
Conclusion	p. 56
Further reading	p. 58
Understanding 'left realism'	p. 59
What is 'left realism'?	p. 60
Left realism UK style: a critique	p. 66
Left realism US style	p. 74
The modernist dilemma	p. 77
Left realism and New Labour: politics, policy and process	p. 78
Conclusion	p. 81
Further reading	p. 82
Gendering the criminal	p. 83
The gender blindness of criminology	p. 83
Feminism and criminology	p. 84
Feminisms and criminology: contradictions in terms?	p. 89
Ways of thinking about men within criminology	p. 90
Sex role theory and criminology	p. 91
Categorical theory and criminology	p. 95
Doing gender as criminology	p. 96
Biography and the psychoanalytical turn	p. 99
Reflections on masculinity and criminology	p. 100
Summary: gendering the criminal or gendering criminology?	p. 101
Conclusion	p. 103
Further reading	p. 104
Crime, politics and welfare	p. 105
Understanding the welfare state	p. 106
Why it is important to understand the relationship between the citizen and the state	p. 111
New Labour, new policies? Young people and crime	p. 113
Young people, crime and antisocial behaviour	p. 115
Conclusion: questions for criminology	p. 117
Further reading	p. 118
Criminal victimization, politics and welfare	p. 119
What is victimology?	p. 119
A challenging victimology?	p. 128
Rebalancing the criminal justice system	p. 129
Feminism, policy and violence	p. 136
Ethnicity and hate crimes	p. 140
Conclusion: criminal victimization and social responsibility	p. 142
Further reading	p. 144
Conclusions: new directions for criminology?	p. 145
Positivism, modernism and gender	p. 145
A word on cultural criminology	p. 148
Gender, race and class	p. 150
Criminology and risk	p. 151
Criminology and trust	p. 154
Criminology, the citizen and the state	p. 157
Criminology, political economy and social capital	p. 159
Conclusion	p. 160
Glossary	p. 161
References	p. 164
Index	p. 177
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