ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a short biography of Hirschi, including his family and educational background and his occupational path. It discusses Hirschi's classic works, especially Causes of Delinquency and A General Theory of Crime, co-authored with Michael Gottfredson. The chapter tackles the difficult issue of Hirschi's legacy in the field of criminology and offers some concluding remarks on the life and work of Travis Hirschi. Hirschi was an undergraduate student at the University of Utah where he majored in sociology and history. For Hirschi, perhaps more than any other criminologist in the twentieth century, ideas were always tied to the mode of investigation and the mode of investigation was always tied to substantive concerns. Hirschi perhaps more than any other delinquency theorist also brought the family, especially family relations, back into the picture. The trademark of Hirschi's body of work is profound theoretical insights coupled with rigorous research methods.
