Vold's Theoretical Criminology

Vold's Theoretical Criminology, first published in 1958, was the first book of its kind and is considered "the" standard text in criminological theory by just about every measure. Because of this book, "Vold" is a household name amongst criminologists. Each theory is presented accurately and comprehensively within its historical context. Relevant empirical research is reviewed and assessed, and research issues related to theory testing are also discussed.

Table of Contents:
SPIRITUAL EXPLANATIONS ; NATURAL EXPLANATIONS ; SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ; CAUSATION IN SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ; THREE FRAMES OF REFERENCE ; RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE THREE FRAMES OF REFERENCE ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; THE SOCIAL AND INTELLECTUAL BACKGROUND OF CLASSICAL CRIMINOLOGY ; BECCARIA AND THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL ; FROM CLASSICAL THEORY TO DETERRENCE RESEARCH ; THREE TYPES OF DETERRENCE RESEARCH ; RATIONAL CHOICE AND OFFENDING ; ROUTINE ACTIVITIES AND VICTIMIZATION ; CONCLUSIONS ; BACKGROUND: PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND DEFECTIVENESS ; LOMBROSO, THE "BORN CRIMINAL" AND POSITIVIST CRIMINOLOGY ; GORING'S REFUTATION OF THE "BORN CRIMINAL" ; BODY TYPE THEORIES ; FAMILY STUDIES ; TWIN AND ADOPTION STUDIES ; NEUROTRANSMITTERS ; HORMONES ; THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM ; THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM ; ENVIRONMENTALLY INDUCED BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS OF BEHAVIOR ; IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; INTELLIGENCE AND CRIME: BACKGROUND IDEAS AND CONCEPTS ; IQ TESTS AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ; DELINQUENCY, RACE, AND IQ ; INTERPRETING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DELINQUENCY AND IQ ; PERSONALITY AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ; PSYCHOPATHY AND ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER ; CLINICAL PREDICTION OF FUTURE DANGEROUSNESS ; ACTUARIAL PREDICTION OF LATER CRIME AND DELINQUENCY ; DEPRESSION AND DELINQUENCY ; IMPULSIVITY AND CRIME ; POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF PERSONALITY RESEARCH ; CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: GUERRY AND QUETELET ; RESEARCH ON CRIME AND POVERTY: CONTRADICTIONS AND DISAGREEMENTS ; CRIME AND UNEMPLOYMENT: A DETAILED LOOK AT RESEARCH ; PROBLEMS INTERPRETING RESEARCH ON CRIME AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ; IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; EMILE DURKHEIM ; CRIME AS NORMAL IN MECHANICAL SOCIETIES ; ANOMIE AS A PATHOLOGICAL STATE IN ORGANIC SOCIETIES ; DURKHEIM'S THEORY OF CRIME ; CONCLUSION ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; THE THEORY OF HUMAN ECOLOGY ; RESEARCH IN THE "DELINQUENCY AREAS" OF CHICAGO ; POLICY IMPLICATIONS ; RESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION, SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION, AND CRIME ; SAMPSON'S THEORY OF COLLECTIVE EFFICACY ; EXPANDING INTEREST IN NEIGHBORHOOD SOCIAL PROCESSES ; IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; ROBERT K. MERTON AND ANOMIE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY ; STRAIN AS THE EXPLANATION OF GANG DELINQUENCY ; 1960S STRAIN-BASED POLICIES ; THE DECLINE AND RESURGENCE OF STRAIN THEORIES ; STRAIN IN INDIVIDUALS ; STRAIN IN SOCIETIES ; CONCLUSION ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO LEARNING ; SUTHERLAND'S DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION THEORY ; RESEARCH TESTING SUTHERLAND'S THEORY ; THE CONTENT OF LEARNING: CULTURAL AND SUBCULTURAL THEORIES ; THE LEARNING PROCESS: SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY ; ATHEN'S THEORY OF "VIOLENTIZATION" ; IMPLICATIONS ; CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; EARLY CONTROL THEORIES: REISS TO NYE ; MATZA'S DELINQUENCY AND DRIFT ; HIRSCHI'S SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY ; ASSESSING SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY ; GOTTFREDSON AND HIRSCHI'S A GENERAL THEORY OF CRIME ; ASSESSING GOTTFREDSON AND HIRSCHI'S A GENERAL THEORY OF CRIME ; IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; THE MEANING OF CRIME TO THE SELF: LABELING THEORY ; THE MEANING OF CRIME TO THE CRIMINAL: KATZ'S SEDUCTIONS OF CRIME ; THE SITUATIONAL MEANING OF CRIME: ZIMBARDO'S LUCIFER EFFECT ; THE MEANING OF CRIME TO THE LARGER SOCIETY: DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL REACTION ; STATE POWER AND THE MEANING OF CRIME: CONTROLOLOGY ; IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; EARLY CONFLICT THEORIES: SELLIN AND VOLD ; CONFLICT THEORIES IN A TIME OF CONFLICT: TURK, QUINNEY, AND CHAMBLISS AND SEIDMAN ; BLACK'S THEORY OF THE BEHAVIOR OF LAW ; A UNIFIED CONFLICT THEORY OF CRIME ; TESTING CONFLICT THEORY ; IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; OVERVIEW OF MARX'S THEORY ; MARX ON CRIME, CRIMINAL LAW, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ; THE EMERGENCE OF MARXIST CRIMINOLOGY ; MARXIST THEORY AND RESEARCH ON CRIME ; OVERVIEW OF POSTMODERNISM ; POSTMODERN CRIMINOLOGY ; CONCLUSION ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEMINIST CRIMINOLOGY ; SCHOOLS OF FEMINIST CRIMINOLOGY ; GENDER IN CRIMINOLOGY ; WHY ARE WOMEN'S CRIME RATES SO LOW? ; WHY ARE MEN'S CRIME RATES SO HIGH? ; CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; THE GREAT DEBATE: CRIMINAL CAREERS, LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGE AND CRIME ; CRIMINAL PROPENSITY VERSUS CRIMINAL CAREER ; THE TRANSITION TOWARD DEVELOPMENTAL CRIMINOLOGY ; THREE DEVELOPMENTAL DIRECTIONS ; THORNBERRY'S INTERACTIONAL THEORY ; SAMPSON AND LAUB'S AGE-GRADED THEORY OF INFORMAL SOCIAL CONTROL ; TREMBLAY'S DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS OF PHYSICAL AGGRESSION ; CONCLUSIONS ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; ELLIOTT'S INTEGRATED THEORY OF DELINQUENCY AND DRUG USE ; THE FALSIFICATION VS. INTEGRATION DEBATE ; BRAITHWAITE'S THEORY OF REINTEGRATIVE SHAMING ; TITTLE'S CONTROL BALANCE THEORY ; COERCION AND SOCIAL SUPPORT ; BERNARD AND SNIPES'S APPROACH TO INTEGRATING CRIMINOLOGY THEORIES ; AGNEW'S GENERAL THEORY ; CONCLUSION ; KEY TERMS ; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ; SCIENCE, THEORY, RESEARCH, AND POLICY ; INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE THEORIES ; STRUCTURE/PROCESS THEORIES ; THEORIES OF THE BEHAVIOR OF CRIMINAL LAW ; CONCLUSION