Criminological Theories: Introduction and Evaluation

by Akers,Ronald L.

• ISBN13: 9781579581688
• ISBN10: 1579581684
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-08-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

InCriminological Theories, the noted criminologist Ronald Akers provides thorough description, discussion, and appraisal of the leading theories of crime/delinquent behavior and law/criminal justice - the origin and history of each theory and its contemporary developments and adherents. Akers offers a clear explanation of each theory (the central concepts and hypotheses of each theory as well as critical criteria for evaluating each theory in terms of its empirical validity). Researchers and librarians, as well as general readers, will find this book a very useful tool and will applaud its clear and understandable exposition of abstract concepts.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. iv
Acknowledgements	p. vi
Introduction to Criminological Theory
What Is Theory?	p. 1
Types of Criminological Theories	p. 2
Theories of Making and Enforcing Criminal Law	p. 2
Theories of Criminal and Deviant Behavior	p. 4
Criteria for Evaluating Theory	p. 6
Logical Consistency, Scope, and Parsimony	p. 6
Testability	p. 7
Empirical Validity	p. 9
Empirical Validity and the Concept of Causality and Determinism	p. 10
Usefulness and Policy Implications	p. 11
Empirical Validity as the Primary Criterion	p. 12
Summary	p. 12
Deterrence and Rational Choice Theories
Classical Criminology and the Deterrence Doctrine	p. 15
Deterrence: Certainty, Severity, and Celerity of Punishment	p. 16
Modern Deterrence Theory	p. 17
Studies of Deterrence	p. 17
Do Criminal Sanctions Deter?	p. 19
Deterrence and the Experiential Effect	p. 20
Modifications and Expansions of Deterrence Concepts	p. 21
Rational Choice Theory	p. 23
Deterrence and Expected Utility	p. 23
Research on Rational Choice Theory	p. 24
Routine Activities Theory	p. 27
Felson and Cohen: Offenders, Targets, and Guardians	p. 27
Empirical Validity of Routine Activities Theory	p. 28
Summary	p. 33
Notes	p. 34
Biological and Psychological Theories
Introduction	p. 35
Lombroso and Early Biological Theories	p. 36
Lombroso's Theory of the Born Criminal	p. 36
The Criminal as Biologically Inferior	p. 37
Recognizing the Inadequacies of Early Biological Theories	p. 39
Modern Biological Theories of Crime and Delinquency	p. 42
IQ, Mental Functioning, and Delinquency	p. 43
Testosterone and Criminal Aggressiveness	p. 44
Mednick's Theory of Inherited Criminal Tendencies	p. 45
Empirical Validity of Biological Theories of Criminal Behavior	p. 48
Psychoanalytic Theory	p. 50
Personality Theory	p. 53
Summary	p. 55
Notes	p. 57
Social Learning Theory
Introduction	p. 59
Sutherland's Differential Association Theory	p. 59
Akers' Social Learning Theory	p. 62
Development of the Theory	p. 62
The Central Concepts and Propositions of Social Learning Theory	p. 63
The Social Learning Process: Sequence and Feedback Effects	p. 67
Social Structure and Social Learning	p. 69
Empirical Validity of Social Learning Theory	p. 70
Critiques and Research on Social learning Variables	p. 70
Akers' Research on Social Learning Theory	p. 74
Summary	p. 76
Notes	p. 78
Social Bonding and Control Theories
Introduction	p. 79
Early Control Theories	p. 81
Reiss' and Nye's Theories of Internal and External Controls	p. 81
Reckless' Containment Theory	p. 82
Sykes and Matza: Techniques of Neutralization and Drift	p. 84
Hirschi's Social Bonding Theory	p. 85
The Central Concepts and Propositions of Social Bonding Theory	p. 86
Empirical Validity of Social Bonding Theory	p. 88
Gottfredson and Hirschi: Self-Control Theory	p. 90
Low Self-Control as the Cause of Criminal Behavior	p. 90
What Is the Relationship Between Self-Control Theory and Social Bonding Theory?	p. 91
Testability of Self-Control Theory	p. 92
Research Indirectly and Directly Testing Self-Control Theory	p. 93
Summary	p. 95
Notes	p. 97
Labeling Theory
Introduction	p. 99
Labeling as a Process of Symbolic Social Interaction	p. 100
The Label as an Independent Variable in Crime and Deviance	p. 101
Empirical Evidence on Labeling Theory	p. 105
Developments and Modifications in Labeling Theory	p. 107
The Past and Future of Labeling Theory	p. 109
Summary	p. 111
Notes	p. 113
Social Disorganization, Anomie, and Strain Theories
Introduction	p. 115
Social Disorganization and the Urban Ecology of Crime and Delinquency	p. 115
Research on Social Disorganization	p. 117
Anomie/Strain Theory	p. 119
Merton's Anomie Theory	p. 119
Cohen: Status Deprivation and the Delinquent Subculture	p. 121
Cloward and Ohlin: Differential Opportunity and Delinquent Subcultures	p. 122
Miller: Focal Concerns of Lower-Class Culture	p. 124
Research on Anomie/Strain Theory	p. 125
Is Crime and Delinquency Concentrated in the Lower Class and Minority Groups?	p. 125
Other Social Structural Correlates of Crime	p. 127
Gangs and Delinquent Subcultures	p. 128
School Dropout and Delinquency	p. 129
Perceived Discrepancy Between Aspirations and Expectations	p. 130
Agnew's General Strain Theory of Crime and Delinquency	p. 131
Summary	p. 133
Notes	p. 135
Conflict Theory
Introduction	p. 137
Law is a Type of Social Control	p. 137
Consensus and Functionalist Theories of Law	p. 139
Conflict Theory of Law and Criminal Justice	p. 141
Empirical Validity of Consensus and Conflict Theories of Law and Criminal Justice	p. 146
Research on Legislation and Public Opinion on Crimes	p. 146
Research on Legal and Extra-legal Variables in the Criminal Justice System	p. 147
Conflict Theory of Criminal Behavior	p. 153
Empirical Validity of Conflict Theory of Criminal Behavior	p. 156
Summary	p. 157
Notes	p. 159
Marxist and Critical Theories
Marxist Theory	p. 161
Marxist Theory of Law and Criminal Justice	p. 163
Instrumentalist and Structuralist Marxism	p. 163
Empirical Adequacy of Marxist Theory of Law and Justice	p. 164
Marxist Theory of Crime	p. 167
Bonger: Early Marxist Theory of Crime	p. 168
Quinney: Class, State, and Crime	p. 168
Modifications of Marxist Theory	p. 170
Is Crime the Result of a Capitalist Economy?	p. 173
Critical Criminology	p. 175
Critical/Constitutive Criminology	p. 176
Left Realism	p. 179
Peacemaking Criminology	p. 182
Summary	p. 185
Notes	p. 187
Feminist Theories
Introduction	p. 189
Feminist Theory of Criminal Justice	p. 190
Empirical Validity of Feminist Theory of Criminal Justice	p. 190
Feminist Theories of Crime	p. 195
Women's Liberation and Female Crime	p. 197
Power-Control Theory of Gender and Delinquency	p. 198
Patriarchal Society and Crime	p. 199
Empirical Validity of Feminist Theory	p. 201
Summary	p. 202
Notes	p. 203
Integrating Criminological Theories
Theory Competition Versus Theory Integration	p. 205
Varieties of Theoretical Integration in Criminology	p. 208
Conceptual Integration	p. 208
Akers: Integration by Conceptual Absorption	p. 208
Pearson and Weiner: Conceptual Integrative Framework	p. 210
Propositional Integration	p. 211
Elliott's Integrative Model of Strain, Bonding, and Learning	p. 211
Krohn's Network Analysis	p. 214
Thornberry's Interactional Theory	p. 215
Kaplan's Self-Derogation Theory	p. 216
Bernard's Unified Conflict Theory of Criminal Behavior and Criminal Law	p. 217
Tittle's Control Balance Theory	p. 218
How Successful Has Theoretical Integration Been in Criminology?	p. 219
Summary	p. 220
Notes	p. 221
References	p. 225
Author Index	p. 251
Subject Index	p. 257
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