The standard text in the field, Vold's Theoretical Criminology is universally known by scholars in the discipline. Taking a largely historical approach, it discusses both classic and contemporary theories, presenting historical context and empirical research for each one.
Vold's is a classic, trusted for decades as the definitive, comprehensive source of criminological theories. One of the marks of its success is that its usage spans introductory and upper level courses; it is even used in graduate-level courses. The writing style is crisp, clear, easy to understand but not watered down.
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Preface Chapter 1: Theory and Crime 1.1 Spiritual Explanations 1.2 Natural Explanations 1.3 Scientific Theories 1.4 Causation in Scientific Theories 1.5 Three Categories of Criminological Theories Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 2: Classical Criminology 2.1 The Social and Intellectual Background of Classical Criminology 2.2 Beccaria and the Classical School 2.3 The Neoclassical School 2.4 From Classical Theory to Deterrence Research 2.5 Nagin's Review of Deterrence Research 2.6 Rational Choice and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) 2.7 Routine Activities and Victimization 2.8 Focused Deterrence: Operation Ceasefire Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 3: Bioscocial Criminology 3.1 Background: Physical Appearance And Defectiveness 3.2 Lombroso, the Born Criminal, and Positivist Criminology 3.3 Goring's Refutation of the Born Criminal 3.4 Body Type Theories 3.5 Family Studies 3.6 Twin and Adoption Studies 3.7 Epigenetics and the Role of Heritability Studies in Biosocial Criminology 3.8 MAOA: The Warrior Gene 3.9 Hormones 3.10 The Neural Basis of Crime 3.11 Environmentally Induced Biological Components of Behavior Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 4: Psychological Factors and Criminal Behavior 4.1 Intelligence and Crime: Background Ideas and Concepts 4.2 IQ Tests and Criminal Behavior 4.3 Delinquency, Race, and IQ 4.4 Interpreting the Association Between Delinquency and IQ 4.5 Personality and Criminal Behavior: An Overview 4.6 Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis 4.7 Psychopathy and Antisocial Personality Disorder 4.8 Depression and Delinquency 4.9 Trait Perspectives & the Five Factor Model of Personality 4.10 Impulsivity and Crime 4.11 Moffitt's Life-Course-Persistent Offenders 4.12 Clinical Prediction of Future Dangerousness 4.13 Actuarial Prediction of Later Crime and Delinquency 4.14 Policy Implications of Personality Research Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 5: Durkheim, Anomie, and Modernization 5.1 Emile Durkheim 5.2 Crime as Normal in Mechanical Societies 5.3 Anomie as a Pathological State in Organic Societies 5.4 Durkheim's Theory of Crime Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 6: Strain Theories 6.1 Robert K. Merton and Anomie in American Society 6.2 Cohen's Middle Class Measuring Rod 6.3 Cloward and Ohlin's Typology of Gangs 6.4 1960s Strain-Based Policies 6.5 The Decline and Resurgence of Strain Theories 6.6 Agnew's General Strain Theory 6.7 Messner and Rosenfeld's Institutional Anomie Theory Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 7: Neighborhoods and Crime 7.1 The Theory of Human Ecology 7.2 Research in The Delinquency Areas of Chicago 7.3 Policy Implications 7.4 Residential Succession, Social Disorganization, and Crime 7.5 Sampson's Theory of Collective Efficacy 7.6 Neighborhood Disorder, Crime, & Policing 7.7 Crime in Public Housing 7.8 Social Disorganization and Crime in Rural Areas 7.9 Expanding Interest in Neighborhood Social Processes Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 8: Learning Theories 8.1 Basic Psychological Approaches to Learning 8.2 Tarde's Laws of Imitation and Bandura's Social Learning Theory 8.3 Sutherland's Differential Association Theory 8.4 Research Testing Sutherland's Theory 8.5 The Content of Learning: Cultural and Subcultural Theories 8.6 The Learning Process: Akers's Social Learning Theory 8.7 Assessing Social Learning Theory 8.8 Athens's Theory of Violentization 8.9 Katz's Seductions of Crime 8.10 Labeling Theories 8.11 Implications Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 9: Control Theories 9.1 Early Control Theories: Reiss to Nye 9.2 Matza's Delinquency and Drift 9.3 Hirschi's Social Control Theory 9.4 Assessing Social Control Theory 9.5 Gottfredson and Hirschi's A General Theory of Crime 9.6 Assessing Gottfredson and Hirschi's General Theory Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 10: Conflict Criminology 10.1 Early Conflict Theories: Sellin and Vold 10.2 Conflict Theories in A Time of Conflict: Turk, Quinney, And Chambliss and Seidman 10.3 Black's Theory of The Behavior of Law 10.4 A Unified Conflict Theory of Crime 10.5 Minority Threat Theory 10.6 Cumulative Disadvantage in The American Criminal Justice System Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 11: Marxist, Postmodern, and Green Criminology 11.1 Overview of Marx's Theory 11.2 Marx on Crime, Criminal Law, and Criminal Justice 11.3 The Emergence of Marxist Criminology 11.4 Marxist Theory and Research on Crime 11.5 Overview of Postmodernism 11.6 Postmodern Criminology 11.7 Green Criminology Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 12: Gender and Crime 12.1 The Development of Feminist Criminology 12.2 Schools of Feminist Criminology 12.3 Gender in Criminology 12.4 Why Are Women's Crime Rates So Low? 12.5 Why Are Men's Crime Rates So High? 12.6 The Narrowing of The Gender Gap in Violence 12.7 Beyond the Gender Gap Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 13: Developmental and Life-Course Theories 13.1 The Great Debate: Criminal Careers, Longitudinal Research, and the Relationship Between Age and Crime 13.2 Criminal Propensity Versus Criminal Career 13.3 The Transition to Developmental Criminology 13.4 Three Developmental Directions 13.5 New Directions in Developmental and Life-Course Criminology Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 14: Integrated Theories 14.1 Elliott's Integrated Theory of Delinquency and Drug Use 14.2 The Falsification Versus Integration Debate 14.3 Braithwaite's Theory of Reintegrative Shaming 14.4 Tittle's Control Balance Theory 14.5 Differential Coercion and Social Support Theory 14.6 Bernard and Snipes's Approach to Integrating Criminology Theories 14.7 Agnew's General Theory 14.8 Gottschalk's Theory of Convenience Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Chapter 15: Theory and Policy in Context 15.1 Crime in the United States: The Past Half-Century 15.2 Two Opposing Narratives of the Crime Wave 15.3 Explaining the 1990s Decline 15.4 The City That Became Safe 15.5 Crime in the U.S. During the Pandemic Conclusions Key Terms Discussion Questions Conclusion What is the State of Criminological Theory? How Should Theory Be Most Relevant to Policy? Index
Jeffrey B. Snipes: Ph.D. SUNY Albany, J.D. Stanford, Professor of Criminal Justice Studies at San Francisco StateThomas J. Bernard: Ph.D. SUNY Albany, Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Penn State (deceased)Rick Trinkner, Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University Phoenix, AZ
Reviews for Vold's Theoretical Criminology
"It is the 'gold standard' regarding theory. I trust it more than any other source. There is nothing wasteful here; no glossy photos that increase the cost of the text; no unnecessary sidebars that pad the book. I used this book 19 years ago when I first started teaching to draft my lectures. I still use it today...should be the essential reading text for anyone who takes crime and its control seriously"" -Jarrett Lovel The writing style is easy to read and follow. The author(s) do not use academic jargon which can be difficult for students to understand. The style is consistent throughout the book. I believe it would generate student interest and sustain it throughout the chapters...it is a great book that covers all the important topics and would be very engaging for students."" -Shelly McGrath, University of Alabama I have never found a theory book as good as Vold's, so I only use this one...This text is foundational as it covers the central themes in criminology. It provides essential analyses of research as it takes stock with all theories presented in the text. The writing style is more academic and higher order than most textbooks. But that is exactly why I like it."" -Maria Velez I would say it is a great textbook for lower-level criminology courses. Students will find it easy to understand. It is organized well and covers the field of criminology quite well."" -Michelle Emerson Comprehensive theoretical coverage and now includes an example of theory applied to a major criminal justice debate (crime decline) ...Data driven and empirical assessments of each theory...Fair assessments (among the least biased texts by a leading theorist) ... Vold's is the best upper-level criminological theory book on the market."" -Nancy A. Morris A well-written, concise primer perfect for an introduction to criminological theory with a rare deep consideration of conflict, critical and radical theory ... From my perspective, the pedagogical approach is quite good. I know some may like more bells and whistles, but I prefer straight, to-the-point text. The key terms and discussion questions are good (and sufficient without going overboard)... I think it's one of the key strengths of the is book that it's wellwritten. Moreover, it's concise and easily digestible (while at the same time offering adequate depth and breadth). From my experience, it definitely generates and sustains student interest. -Scott Vollum, U of Minnesota Duluth The writing style is appropriate for my students. It is not so advanced that students will constantly run across unfamiliar words but at the same time it is not 'dumbed down' to a very low level...clear and readable, includes a lot of current research, includes theories not found in other books...The coverage of personality tests is very interesting and includes material that is not usually found in other books."" -Ellen Cohn, Florida International U."
