Lynne Rienner Publishers Logo
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING

Crime, Justice, and Society: An Introduction to Criminology, 2nd edition

Ronald J. Berger, Marvin D. Free Jr., and Patricia Searles
Crime, Justice, and Society: An Introduction to Criminology, 2nd edition
ISBN: 978-1-58826-258-5
$35.00
12/31/1969/585 pages
"Crime, Justice, and Society encourages students to critically assess the causes and patterns of crime, forms of victimization, and institutional response, providing them with a nuanced and contextual basis from which to understand the structural complexities related to criminal behavior." —Robert L. Peralta, University of Akron

DESCRIPTION

Why is the composition of the prison population substantially different from that of the larger society? Why is corporate crime so neglected by the criminal justice system? What have been the results of the "war on drugs"? Crime, Justice, and Society explores these and other significant questions in a compelling introduction to criminology.

Highlighting issues of class, race, ethnicity, and gender, the authors present the study of crime and criminals in an accessible manner. While innovative, their book is organized as a core text for standard introductory criminology courses.

The many outstanding features of this new edition include:

  • Strong theoretical coverage, enhanced by a new chapter on critical theory.
  • Discussion of a comprehensive range of topics—from organized crime, street crime, and sexual violence to political crime, corporate fraud, and police profiling.
  • Real-life examples, conveying the experiences of offenders, victims, and criminal justice personnel.
  • An approach that facilitates critical thinking.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ronald J. Berger is professor of sociology and coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. His previous publications include The Sociology of Juvenile Delinquency. Marvin D. Free Jr. is professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. He is author of African Americans and the Criminal Justice System. Patricia Searles is professor of sociology and women's studies and chair of the sociology department at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Her publications include Feminism and Pornography and Rape and Society, both co-authored with Ronald Berger.

CONTENTS

  • Perspectives on the Problem of Crime.
  • METHODS AND THEORIES.
  • Crime Data and Methods of Research.
  • Individualistic Explanations of Criminal Behavior.
  • Sociological Explanations of Criminal Behavior.
  • Conflict Theory and Critical Criminology.
  • PATTERNS OF CRIMINALITY AND VICTIMIZATION.
  • Corporate and Organized Crime.
  • Street Crime.
  • Gender and Crime.
  • Sexual Violence.
  • Political and Governmental Crime.
  • CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS.
  • The Police and the Courts.
  • Punishment and Prisons.
  • Community Corrections and Alternative Solutions.
LC: 200407791