Ideal for undergraduate courses in criminology--especially those taught from a critical perspective--Criminology: A Sociological Approach, Fifth Edition, is a comprehensive yet highly accessible introduction to the study of crime and criminological theory. Authors Piers Beirne and James W. Messerschmidt present the topic from a sociological standpoint, emphasizing the social construction of crime and showing how crime relates to gender, class, race, and age. Providing students with a strong theoretical foundation, the book also addresses historical, feminist, and comparative perspectives and highlights the major types of crime and victimization patterns. The text is divided into three Parts: * Part I focuses on three questions: "What is crime?" "How can we measure how much crime there is in the United States?" and finally, "How can we compare rates of crime in different societies?" * Part II is a systematic guide to modern criminological theory and its historical development. * Part III examines specific types of crime, including property crime, interpersonal violence, white-collar crime, and political crime. Written in student-friendly language, Criminology uses abundant illustrations, examples, and case studies to elucidate key points. The text also offers many helpful learning aids, including chapter previews, lists of key terms, chapter reviews, questions for class discussion, and suggestions for further study. NEW TO THE FIFTH EDITION * Moves the theory chapters to earlier in the book, helping to better connect them with one another * Reorganizes the chapters on theory to showcase the self-contained, internally coherent nature of criminology--rather than criminology's place in the historical record * Adds examples throughout * Presents new and up-to-date empirical data in all sections * Discusses many new topics, including cultural criminology and green criminology * Covers numerous types of crime that were not discussed in previous editions (e.g., whiteness and crime, the rape-war connection, Ponzi schemes, domestic right-wing terrorism, and state- sanctioned torture)

PART I: INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY Chapter 1. The Problem of Crime Images of Crime Crime, Criminal Law, and Criminalization Crime as a Sociological Problem Chapter 2. The Measurement of Crime Caution: Data Do Not Speak for Themselves Official Crime Data Unofficial Crime Data Chapter 3. Comparative Criminology and Globalization Approaching Comparative Criminology Comparative Crime and Victimization Data Cross-National Generalizations Regarding Crime PART II: CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY Chapter 4. Inventing Criminology: Classicism, Positivism, and Beyond The Enlightenment and Classical Criminology The Emergence of Positivist Criminology Neoclassical Criminology Chapter 5. Social Structure, Anomie, and Crime Durkheim's Sociology of Law and Crime Social Structure, Anomie, and Deviance Revised Strain Theory Chapter 6. Delinquent Subcultures, Subcultures of Delinquency, and the Labeling Perspective The Chicago School of Criminology, Disorganization, and Delinquency Delinquent Subcultures Matza's Delinquency and Drift The Labeling Perspective Chapter 7. Social Learning and Social Control Theories Differential Association Social Learning Social Control Self-Control Control Balance Chapter 8. The Conflict Tradition Marxism, Law, and Crime Conflict Theory Radical Criminology Chapter 9. Feminist Criminology and Critical Criminologies Feminist Criminology Critical Criminologies PART III: INEQUALITIES AND CRIME Chapter 10. Inequality, Crime, and Victimization Class and Crime Gender and Crime Race and Crime Age and Crime Chapter 11. Property Crime Robbery and Burglary Varieties of Larceny Dealing and Damage Chapter 12. Interpersonal Violence Murder, Assault, Hate Crimes, and Rape Interpersonal Violence in the Family Interpersonal Violence in the Workplace Chapter 13. White-Collar Crime Occupational Crime Corporate Crime Transnational Corporate Chapter 14. Political Crime Political Crimes against the State Domestic Political Crimes by the State Transnational Political Crimes by the State Glossary References Author Index Subject Index