Crime and Deviance

What do sociologists mean when they talk about 'crime' and 'deviance'? Can we use theory to explain why individuals break the law? And how do we measure criminal behaviour in modern society? This book uses key concepts and essential theory to explore these questions and explain their answers.

The second edition of this student-focused text continues to offer clear and structured guidance on the sociology of crime and deviance. With basic definitions and clear analysis of theory and statistics, this book gives its reader the tools to build their knowledge and understanding of the topic. In particular, this text:

explores and critiques essential sociological theory, including functionalist, feminist and postmodernist debates.
examines how criminal justice data and crime statistics are compiled
questions the reliability of social patterns of crime in terms of gender, class, age and ethnicity
looks at new types of crime - from surveillance to terrorism and green crime to state crime

As part of the Skills-Based Sociology series, this new edition of Crime and Deviance is packed with a variety of tasks, activities and exam practice questions. These encourage students to take an active role in their learning, whilst promoting critical thinking alongside skill development. This book is the perfect starting point for students keen to understand the sociology of crime and deviance, as well as an excellent source for revision.