NCJ Number
124199
Date Published
1989
Length
294 pages
Annotation
Structural criminology is a new, sociological approach to criminology that considers the relationships among classes, genders, and races of people to help understand what causes crime.
Abstract
Power is measured in terms of the relation of one group to another. Some have, and some lack, power and authority in relation to others. The author shows that class position not only influences involvement in white-collar crime, but also modifies racial differences and affects the punishment of crime. He ties delinquency to class and gender, attributing gender differences in delinquency to the sexual stratification present in society. Similarly, the power relations of the home reflect those of society. Feminine and masculine virtues are considered in this light. The author cites marxist points of view as they contrast with those of capitalism. He proposes to think of crime as "social events that occur in the life course" and thereby the view towards crime and its causes in a broader, structured perspective. Index, 23-page bibliography, notes, tables, figures.