ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the careers of serious thieves; more detailed descriptions of their occupational activities and social cohesion. Part of the deficiencies in research on thieves may be attributed to a lack of conceptual sophistication, ironically resulting from the correctional domination of much research. Besides being scanty and conceptually flawed, the existing literature has a number of methodological drawbacks. Neither official statistics Chimbos, 1973 nor self-report studies reveal much about the career of thieves, and rely on verbal reports rather than behavioural observations. In addition to methodological problems, research on thieves has had a peculiar focus substantively. Subjects in case studies and intensive interview research are usually rare professional thieves, who are interesting as extreme cases, but hardly typical of the thieves of most concern to the police. Situational adjustment seems a useful concept in explaining the process of personal change.
