Crime : Readings

by Crutchfield, Robert; Bridges, George; Weis, Joseph; Kubrin, Charis

• ISBN13: 9780761986799
• ISBN10: 0761986790
• Edition: Disk
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-02-01
• Publisher: Pine Forge Press

Summary

"The second edition of this anthology includes the latest theoretical and empirical works, and maintains the excellent balance between theory and research found in the first edition. The selections are carefully edited and very appropriate for undergraduate students. The new data analysis exercises provide a simple introduction to SPSS, and further reinforce the connection between theory and research: a major strength of this book. This collection continues to provide a strong foundation for students in criminology courses." --Barbara Costello, University of Rhode Island Designed for undergraduate criminology courses, this book actively involves students in the literature of the discipline, presents the field in a format that is accessible, understandable, and enjoyable, and is edited by well-known scholars who are experienced researchers and teachers. The readings in this anthology have been very carefully edited and pruned by the Editors so that undergraduate students can easily read them without getting bogged down or confused and lost in the technical, methodological details. As an added bonus, and without adding additional cost to the book, we have included 5 substantial data analysis exercises spread throughout the book. These exercises not only teach students the basics of SPSS, the "standard" data analysis software in social science, but also show them how they can test the crime theories and propositions covered in the reader, using current crime data packaged with the book. This absolutely unique feature is structured into fill-in-the-blank exercise sets that are easy to grade for large numbers of students by a single instructor. Over 150 very good questions have been put together for the readings so that instructors can easily test, even in large courses, whether or not their students are keeping up with the reading.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xvi
Ross L. Matsueda
Foreword	xviii
Marvin E. Wolfgang
Preface by the Editors	xix
Introduction: On Crime, Criminals, and Criminologists	xxv
James F. Short, Jr.
What Is Criminology? The History and Definitions of Crime and Criminology	1	(24)
How Do We View Crime? Images of Crime and Criminality	25	(30)
How Is Crime Measured? The Observation and Measurement of Crime	55	(56)
Who Are the Criminals? The Distribution and Correlates of Crime	111	(38)
How Do We Explain Crime? Theories That Emerged in the 1930s That Have Continuing Vitality	149	(94)
How Do We Explain Crime? Theories of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s That Continue to Influence Research	243	(52)
How Do We Explain Crime? The Loyal Opposition to Conventional Criminological Theory	295	(72)
How Do We Explain Crime? Contemporary Theories of Crime and Social Control	367	(56)
How Are Crimes Different? The Varying Patterns of Criminality	423	(110)
How Do We Control Crime? Crime and Social Control	533	(78)
Selected Bibliography	611	(12)
Index	623