NCJ Number
96248
Date Published
1984
Length
395 pages
Annotation
This text discusses criminology, relating its emergence to the industrialization and urbanization of Europe and America and detailing the evolution of criminological theory from its beginnings to the present.
Abstract
Classical theories of society and crime are discussed, and such theoretical points of view as the Chicago School, differential association, subcultural and labeling theories, and Marxist perspectives of New Criminology are evaluated in terms of their contributions to the field and their heuristic value in generating important research and new avenues of thinking about crime and criminology. The nature and volume of crime in America are examined, and crime trends in cities, suburbs, rural areas, and regions are compared. Two major kinds of crime are analyzed: white collar crime, from embezzlement to corporate and organizational illegality; and organized crime, committed by a group variously labeled the 'mob,' the 'syndicate,' the 'Mafia,' and 'la cosa nostra.' The characteristics of crime victims are addressed, and differences between the fear and the fact of victimization are identified. Additionally, the American criminal justice system is scrutinized, with attention to the origin of the police force, the complexity of the police role, and proposed reforms in police administration. The possible nature and prevalence of future crime are estimated, and factors that may be important in determining future patterns and trends are identified, including population change and economic instability. Five figures, 32 tables, and approximately 300 references are included.