ABSTRACT
Causes of Delinquency (Hirschi, 1969) is one of criminology’s great books and social control theory is one of criminology’s leading theories, but social control theory also represents one of the great mysteries of contemporary criminological theory. Although Hirschi was a well-known opponent of theoretical integration, he articulated a second, rival theory of crime: self-control (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990). This led scholars to debate the compatibility of the two theories, but Hirschi provided a definitive answer in 2004 when he announced that social control and self-control were the same thing. This chapter traces the evolution of Hirschi’s control theory, with particular attention to the dynamic relationship between facts and theory. It identifies some of the characteristics of good theory and suggests that a biosocial model might provide a parsimonious means of reconciling social control and self-control theories.
