NCJ Number
99570
Editor(s)
R F Meier
Date Published
1985
Length
233 pages
Annotation
In examining the methods of constructing criminological theories, this book discusses general issues in constructing criminological theories, assumptions about theoretical methods, and assumptions about the nature of crime theories.
Abstract
Chapters pertaining to general issues in constructing criminological theories discuss some general problems in theoretical methods as applied to criminology. The discussion encompasses the possibility of using formal theory in identifying independent variables and the necessity of distinguishing different levels of explanation as they affect the identification of dependent variables. Chapters addressing various assumptions about alternative methods or models of crime explanation focus on positivism, eclecticism, the integration of disparate theories, and the use of typological approaches. Chapters in the final section of the book deal with different facets of apparently competing explanations of crime: neoclassical theories of crime control, individualistic explanations, and environmental explanations. Chapter references are listed. For individual chapters, see NCJ 99571-76