ABSTRACT
Crimes of the Powerful was, and still is, an important text because it illustrates the significance of the theoretical method and the procedure of conceptualization for producing theoretically rigorous and sophisticated yet empirically grounded sociological accounts of social phenomena. On one level, the book offers an analysis of abuses of power by powerful actors, including states and corporations, and the relation between the two; on another level it is an empirically grounded and exemplary work of sociological theorizing. As a whole it illustrates the importance and interrelation of both and contributes to the epistemological and methodological advancement of criminology like few other texts have. This chapter aims to make explicit the theoretical practice and procedure of conceptualization developed and employed in CotP and argues this is its major contribution to sociology and criminology.
