Criminology A Sociological Approach

by Beirne, Piers; Messerschmidt, James W.

• ISBN13: 9780195394764
• ISBN10: 0195394763
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-11
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Ideal for undergraduate courses in criminology--especially those taught from a critical perspective--Criminology: A Sociological Approach, Fifth Edition, is a comprehensive yet highly accessible introduction to the study of crime and criminological theory. Authors Piers Beirne and James W. Messerschmidt present the topic from a sociological standpoint, emphasizing the social construction of crime and showing how crime relates to gender, class, race, and age. Providing students with a strong theoretical foundation, the book also addresses historical, feminist, and comparative perspectives and highlights the major types of crime and victimization patterns. The text is divided into three Parts: * Part I focuses on three questions: "What is crime?" "How can we measure how much crime there is in the United States?" and finally, "How can we compare rates of crime in different societies?" * Part II is a systematic guide to modern criminological theory and its historical development. * Part III examines specific types of crime, including property crime, interpersonal violence, white-collar crime, and political crime. Written in student-friendly language, Criminology uses abundant illustrations, examples, and case studies to elucidate key points. The text also offers many helpful learning aids, including chapter previews, lists of key terms, chapter reviews, questions for class discussion, and suggestions for further study. NEW TO THE FIFTH EDITION * Moves the theory chapters to earlier in the book, helping to better connect them with one another * Reorganizes the chapters on theory to showcase the self-contained, internally coherent nature of criminology--rather than criminology's place in the historical record * Adds examples throughout * Presents new and up-to-date empirical data in all sections * Discusses many new topics, including cultural criminology and green criminology * Covers numerous types of crime that were not discussed in previous editions (e.g., whiteness and crime, the rape-war connection, Ponzi schemes, domestic right-wing terrorism, and state- sanctioned torture)

Author Biography

Piers Beirne is Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies in the Department of Criminology at the University of Southern Maine.
James W. Messerschmidt is Professor of Sociology and Women and Gender Studies in the Department of Criminology at the University of Southern Maine.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Criminology

The Problem of Crime

Images of Crime

Crime, Criminal Law, and Criminalization

Crime as a Sociological Problem

The Measurement of Crime

Caution: Data Do Not Speak for Themselves

Official Crime Data

Unofficial Crime Data

Comparative Criminology and Globalization

Approaching Comparative Criminology

Comparative Crime and Victimization Data

Cross-National Generalizations Regarding Crime

Criminological Theory

Inventing Criminology: Classicism, Positivism, and Beyond

The Enlightenment and Classical Criminology

The Emergence of Positivist Criminology

Neoclassical Criminology

Social Structure, Anomie, and Crime

Durkheim's Sociology of Law and Crime

Social Structure, Anomie, and Deviance

Revised Strain Theory

Delinquent Subcultures, Subcultures of Delinquency, and the Labeling Perspective

The Chicago School of Criminology, Disorganization, and Delinquency

Delinquent Subcultures

Matza's Delinquency and Drift

The Labeling Perspective

Social Learning and Social Control Theories

Differential Association

Social Learning

Social Control

Self-Control

Control Balance

The Conflict Tradition

Marxism, Law, and Crime

Conflict Theory

Radical Criminology

Feminist Criminology and Critical Criminologies

Feminist Criminology

Critical Criminologies

Inequalities and Crime

Inequality, Crime, and Victimization

Class and Crime

Gender and Crime

Race and Crime

Age and Crime

Property Crime

Robbery and Burglary

Varieties of Larceny

Dealing and Damage

Interpersonal Violence

Murder, Assault, Hate Crimes, and Rape

Interpersonal Violence in the Family

Interpersonal Violence in the Workplace

White-Collar Crime

Occupational Crime

Corporate Crime

Transnational Corporate

Political Crime

Political Crimes against the State

Domestic Political Crimes by the State

Transnational Political Crimes by the State

Glossary

References

Author Index

Subject Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.