Publisher's Synopsis
This volume introduces major theories of crime and criminality for the undergraduate student. It has two unique features: firstly, it emphasizes the social context of theory development, secondly, it makes a link between theoretical notions of crime and changes in social policy concerning crime and criminals. The book begins with early attempts to explain crime through differences in physical or psychological traits. There follows the reframing of crime as a question of social context, then the authors discuss more current developments, such as control theories, labelling and radical conflict theories. In conclusion, recent developments including the return to more conservative, individual-focused explanations of criminal behaviour are discussed.
