In Criminological Theories, the noted criminologist Ronald Akers provides thorough description, discussion, and appraisal of the leading theories of crime/delinquent behavior and law/criminal justice - the origin and history of each theory and its contemporary developments and adherents. Akers offers a clear explanation of each theory (the central concepts and hypotheses of each theory as well as critical criteria for evaluating each theory in terms of its empirical validity). Researchers and librarians, as well as general readers, will find this book a very useful tool and will applaud its clear and understandable exposition of abstract concepts.

Criminological Theories is an anthology of previously published articles and book focuses on the major theories, past and present, that inform criminology today.

Designed for upper-level senior and graduate criminological theory courses, this text thoroughly examines the ideas and assumptions underlying each major theoretical perspective in criminology. It lays bare theorists' ideas about human nature, social structure, social order, concepts of law, crime and criminals, the logic of crime causation and the policies and criminal justice practices that follow from these premises. The book provides students with a clear critical, analytic overview of criminological theory that enable enformed evaluative comparisons among different theorists.

This book provides the best of both worlds-- authored text sections with carefully selected accompanying readings covering criminological theory from past to present and beyond. The articles, from leading journals in criminology and criminal justice, reflect both classic studies and state-of-the-art research. Key Features " Begins with an introductory chapter that presents a succinct overview of criminological theory, and briefly describes the organization and content of the book " Features 'How to Read a Research Article'--a perfect introduction to understanding how real-world research is organized and delivered in the journal literature " Includes a 'mini-chapter' for each Section, with figures and tables that present basic concepts and provide a background for the Readings that follow " Provides key terms, web resources, and thought-provoking discussion questions for each Section, along with questions for each Reading to help students develop their critical thinking skills " Instructor Resources on CD include a test bank, PowerPoint slides for each section, classroom activities, and more. " A Student study site provides additional articles, self-study quizzes, e-flashcards, and more.

"Criminological Theories is organized in a chronological order, beginning with the 18th-century classical school - focusing on Beccaria and Bentham - and ending with the late 20th-century peacemaking perspective. In each chapter Moyer analyzes the assumptions the theorists have made about people and society and includes discussions of the cultural and historical settings in which the theories were developed, along with biographies of specific theorists and their lifetime contributions."--BOOK JACKET.

The Fourth Edition of this highly acclaimed book expands on previous editions with coverage of newly emerged theories and empirical updates supported by a significant amount of new references. Criminological Theory provides coverage of the latest theories in the field without diminishing the presentation of classic analysis. Major theoretical perspectives that have developed from both recent critical work and traditional schools, together with practical applications, compel the reader to apply theories to the contemporary social milieu.

Designed for undergraduate criminology and criminological theory courses, Criminological Theories: Understanding Crime in America, Second Edition explores crime, crime theory, and various forms of criminal behavior within the United States. It focuses exclusively on theory, avoiding superfluous discussion of the criminal justice system. Students will come away from the text with plausible explanations of crime causation, a greater appreciation of criminological theory, and the ability to think critically about the social reality of crime. Current and highly relevant, the text includes coverage of new developments in the field of criminology, including cultural, integrative, life-course, and green criminological theories.

First Published in 1997. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The developmental and life-course perspective in criminology came to prominence during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s a number of theories were developed to explain offending behavior over the life-course. This volume brings together theoretical statements, empirical tests and debates of these major theories within the developmental and life-course criminology perspective. In the first section of the book, original theoretical statements are provided and this is followed by a section which includes empirical tests of each of these theories conducted by researchers other than the original theorists. The final section of the book provides a summary of the major debates both within the developmental and life-course perspective and also between this perspective and others within criminology. This comprehensive volume provides an informative overview of the developmental and life-course perspective in criminology.

An anthology of 24 essays on major developments in contemporary criminological theory