NCJ Number
121722
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: (1989) Pages: 171-201
Date Published
1989
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This paper presents an overview of Ruth Shonle Cavan's life and professional career, with an emphasis on her accomplishments in and contributions to the field of criminology.
Abstract
Born August 28, 1896, Ruth Shonle Cavan is recognized by most current criminologists as an extraordinary writer with analytical skills and the ability to synthesize the research in the field. One of the major strengths of her writings is her ability to build on the theoretical perspectives and methodologies of the Chicago School and to use other perspectives and methodologies when appropriate. Although most current criminologists only regard Cavan as a great textbook writer, Cavan herself views her greatest contribution as her early research books and her textbooks on the family, criminology, and delinquency. Her study of "Suicide" (1928) and "The Family and the Depression" (1938) have been widely cited in journals. References to Cavan's theory on the continuum of behavior are conspicuously absent in books and articles on criminological theory. Although she receives some recognition for her research on suicide, most research studies in this area and some books cite Durkheim but not Cavan. Throughout her lifetime, Cavan has been recognized for her scholarship and service in the form of awards and honors by professional associations. 26 references.