ABSTRACT

In the fourth edition of Essential Criminology, authors Mark M. Lanier, Stuart Henry, and Desire .M. Anastasia build upon this best-selling critical review of criminology, which has become essential reading for students of criminology in the 21st century.

Designed as an alternative to overly comprehensive, lengthy, and expensive introductory texts, Essential Criminology is, as its title implies, a concise overview of the field. The book guides students through the various definitions of crime and the different ways crime is measured. It then covers the major theories of crime, from individual-level, classical, and rational choice to biological, psychological, social learning, social control, and interactionist perspectives. In this latest edition, the authors explore the kind of criminology that is needed for the globally interdependent twenty-first century. With cutting-edge updates, illustrative real-world examples, and new study tools for students, this text is a necessity for both undergraduate and graduate courses in criminology.

chapter 1|12 pages

What Is Criminology?

The Study of Crime, Criminals, and Victims in a Global Context

chapter 2|26 pages

What Is Crime?

Defining the Problem

chapter 4|25 pages

“Born to Be Bad”

Biological, Physiological, and Biosocial Theories of Crime

chapter 5|28 pages

Criminal Minds

Psychiatric and Psychological Explanations for Crime

chapter 6|28 pages

Learning Criminal Behavior

Social Process Theories

chapter 7|27 pages

Failed Socialization

Control Theory, Social Bonds, and Labeling

chapter 8|28 pages

Crimes of Place

Social Ecology and Cultural Theories of Crime

chapter 9|12 pages

The Sick Society

Anomie, Strain, and Subcultural Theory

chapter 10|30 pages

Capitalism as a Criminogenic Society

Conflict and Radical Theories of Crime

chapter 11|24 pages

Patriarchy, Gender, and Crime

Feminist Criminological Theory

chapter 13|14 pages

Conclusion

Toward a Unified Criminology