ABSTRACT
William Sanders stated that: ‘In the course of their work, both detectives and sociologists must gather and analyse information. For detectives, the object is to identify and locate criminals and to collect evidence to ensure that the identification is correct. Sociologists, on the other hand, develop theories and methods to help understand social behaviour’ (Sanders 1974: 1). But how important is it to gain an understanding of how criminal behaviour and society’s reactions to it have changed over time? What part does history play in understanding criminality, and what tools can we use to recover evidence from one or two centuries ago? Whether you are interested in modern history, criminology or sociology, you will be questioning which areas of knowledge are important to you and your work, and which are not. This book will explain how a critical appreciation of the history of crime can inform current understandings of offending, and why historical events in the past two hundred years will continue to affect crime and criminal justice for many years to come.
