Francis T. Cullen

John Paul Wright

Kristie R. Blevins

Beginning with an assessment of three perspectives that are the core of criminology, this book presents essays that review the status of perspectives that have direct implications for the use of criminological knowledge to control crime. It will be of interest to criminological scholars.

The Status of Criminological Theory

Taking Stock

Criminology is in a period of much theoretical ferment. Older theories have been revitalized, and newer theories have been set forth. The very richness of our thinking about crime, however, leads to questions about the relative merits of these competing paradigms. Accordingly, in this volume advocates of prominent theories are asked to "take stock" of their perspectives. Their challenge is to assess the empirical status of their theory and to map out future directions for theoretical development. The volume begins with an assessment of three perspectives that have long been at the core of criminology: social learning theory, control theory, and strain theory. Drawing on these traditions, two major contemporary macro-level theories of crime have emerged and are here reviewed: institutional-anomie theory and collective efficacy theory. Critical criminology has yielded diverse contributions discussed in essays on feminist theories, radical criminology, peacemaking criminology, and the effects of racial segregation. The volume includes chapters examining Moffitt's insights on life-course persistent/adolescent-limited anti-social behavior and Sampson and Laub's life-course theory of crime. In addition, David Farrington provides a comprehensive assessment of the adequacy of the leading developmental and life-course theories of crime. Finally, Taking Stock presents essays that review the status of perspectives that have direct implications for the use of criminological knowledge to control crime. Taken together, these chapters provide a comprehensive update of the field's leading theories of crime. The volume will be of interest to criminological scholars and will be ideal for classroom use in courses reviewing contemporary theories of criminal behavior.

Neal Shover

Crimes of Privilege: Readings in White-Collar Crime examines the current state of knowledge about and debate over white-collar crime. One of the most challenging and controversial topics in sociology, white-collar crime differs fundamentally from street crime because those who commit it typically lead lives of privilege. Written by top scholars in the field, the thirty-one selections in this book include both previously published works as well as original papers. All have been significantly edited for readability and suitability for students. Organized by rational-choice theory, the readings examine the nature and sources of white-collar crime opportunities, the characteristics of white-collar offenders, white-collar criminal decision-making processes, and diverse approaches to controlling white-collar crime. Crimes of Privilege: Readings in White-Collar Crime also includes twenty-one panels chosen or prepared specifically to illustrate issues discussed in the readings. Taken primarily from local and regional newspapers or from exemplary studies of white-collar crime, some panels summarize key research on the topic while others show that a great deal of white-collar crime occurs close to home; white-collar crime is not a problem confined to Washington, D.C., to Wall Street, or to the world's largest corporations. Crimes of Privilege: Readings in White-Collar Crime provides students with a critical overview of issues and problems in white-collar crime. It is an essential text for undergraduate and graduate courses that focus on deviance, social problems, and white-collar crime.

John Paul Wright

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