Description
Book SynopsisFor decades, scholars have disagreed about what kinds of behavior count as crime. Is it simply a violation of the criminal law? Is it behavior that causes serious harm? Is the seriousness affected by how many people are harmed and does it make a difference who those people are? Are crimes less criminal if the victims are black, lower class, or foreigners? When corporations victimize workers is that a crime? What about when governments violate basic human rights of their citizens, and who then polices governments? In What Is Crime? the first book-length treatment of the topic, contributors debate the content of crime from diverse perspectives: consensus/moral, cultural/relative, conflict/power, anarchist/critical, feminist, racial/ethnic, postmodernist, and integrational. Henry and Lanier synthesize these perspectives and explore what each means for crime control policy.
Trade ReviewIf I had my way, a course on What Is Crime? would be a prerequisite to introductory criminology. Leading criminological theorists of the last several generations debate the issue. It is the most accessible book on the topic—well edited and organized. * Contemporary Sociology *
Of all the materials available on the market today, Stuart Henry and Mark Lanier's book is perhaps the best collection of articles on the meaning of crime. This work is essential for anyone serious about the study of crime. The collection provides not only a foundation for students to begin understanding crime but offers up in-depth considerations of its meaning. The work is a perfect complement to any course in criminology. -- Victor E. Kappeler, Eastern Kentucky University
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Crime in Context: The Scope of the Problem Part 3 Classic Statements Chapter 4 The Nature of Crime Chapter 5 Who Is the Criminal? Chapter 6 Defining Patterns of Crime and Types of Offenders Chapter 7 Defenders of Order or Guardians of Human Rights? Part 8 New Directions Chapter 9 Crime as Social Interaction Chapter 10 Defining Crime in a Community Setting: Negotiation and Legitimation of Community Claims Chapter 11 The Media’s Role in the Definition of Crime Chapter 12 Racing Crime: Definitions and Dilemmas Chapter 13 Constitutive Definition of Crime: Power as Harm Chapter 14 A Needs-Based, Social Harms Definition of Crime Part 15 Integrating Approaches Chapter 16 Crime as Disrepute Chapter 17 The Prism of Crime: Toward an Integrated Definition of Crime Chapter 18 Notes Chapter 19 Index Chapter 20 About the Authors
