Description
Book SynopsisBy articulating a general theory of crime and related behavior, the authors present a new and comprehensive statement of what the criminological enterprise should be about. They argue that prevalent academic criminologywhether sociological, psychological, biological, or economichas been unable to provide believable explanations of criminal behavior.
The long-discarded classical tradition in criminology was based on choice and free will, and saw crime as the natural consequence of unrestrained human tendencies to seek pleasure and to avoid pain. It concerned itself with the nature of crime and paid little attention to the criminal. The scientific, or disciplinary, tradition is based on causation and determinism, and has dominated twentieth-century criminology. It concerns itself with the nature of the criminal and pays little attention to the crime itself. Though the two traditions are considered incompatible, this book brings classical and modern criminology together by requir
Trade Review
"[The authors] present a tour de force critique of past research and offer nothing less than a theory that 'explains all crime, at all times.' . . . The intellectual weight of Gottfredson and Hirschi's efforts is . . . a 'must read' . . . provocative, brilliantly argued, and always challenging."—Robert J. Sampson, University of Chicago
"Most researchers who formulate theories of crime are timid, seeking to explain a small piece of the puzzle (e.g., gangs, female delinquency) at a specific point in time. Not so with Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi. In A General Theory of Crime they present a tour de force critique of the past research and offer nothing less than a theory that "explains all crime, at all times." Normally such a claim would be dimissed by criminologists as wishful thinking, perhaps worse. But the intellectual weight of Gottfredson and Hirschi's efforts is forcing criminologists to take notice and rethink some cherished assumptions. Indeed, this book is a "must read" that is provocative, brilliantly argued, and always challenging."—University of Chicago
"This book is well worthy of study and provides a comprehensive and challenging reading of theory and data."—British Journal of Criminology
"This book presents powerful arguments, turns many neat phrases, shows that much criminology is confused about its purpose or blind to its inconsistencies, demonstrates the profound implications of its argument for criminology, generally, and for the ways it is studied, specifically, and will almost convince a reader that black is white. . . .This is an excellent book. Nobody interested in crime and deviance can afford to ignore it."—American Journal of Sociology
"A General Theory of Crime effectively battles misconceptions about crime, criminals, and appropriate law-enforcement techniques that have all too long dominated thinking in the United States."—Criminal Law Bulletin
"This book is clearly the most thought-provoking general criminological work since James Q. Wilson and Richard Herrnstein's Crime and Human Nature."—American Library Association
"[Out] of the various psychological theories of crime, none has had the comprehensive and cogent nature of this general self-control theory. This book is the most significant reconsideration of crime in decades. . . .Must reading for all social scientists interested in crime."—Contemporary Psychology
Table of Contents
Preface Part I. Crime: 1. Classical theory and the idea of crime 2. The nature of crime Part II. Criminality: 3. Biological positivism 4. Psychological, economic, and sociological positivism 5. The nature of criminality: low self-control Part II. Applications of the Theory: 6. Criminal events and individual propensities: age, gender, and race 7. The social consequences of low self-control 8. Culture and crime 9. White-collar crime 10. Organization and crime Part IV. Research and Policy: 11. Research design and measurement 12. Implications for public policy Index.
