Crime in the Making – Pathways & Turning Points through Life - Hardcover

Sampson, Robert J

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674176049 ISBN 13: 9780674176041

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 1993

Synopsis

This explanation of crime and deviance over the life course is based on the re-analysis of a classic set of data: Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck's mid-century study of 500 delinquents and 500 non-delinquents from childhood to adulthood. More than five years ago, Robert Sampson and John Laub dusted off 60 cartons of the Gluecks' data that had been stored in the basement of the Harvard Law School and undertook a lengthy process of recoding, computerizing, and reanalyzing it. On the basis of their findings, Sampson and Laub developed a theory of informal social control over the life course which integrates three ideas. First, social bonds to family and school inhibit delinquency in childhood and adolescence. Second, there is continuity in antisocial and deviant behaviour from childhood through adulthood across various dimensions, such as crime, alcohol abuse, divorce and unemployment. And finally, despite these continuities, attachment to the labour force and cohesive marriage sharply mitigate criminal activities. Sampson and Laub thus acknowledge the importance of childhood behaviours and individual differences, but reject the implication that adult social factors have little relevance. They seek to account for both stability and change in crime and deviance throughout the life course. "Crime in the making" challenges several major ideas found in contemporary theory and aims to provide an important new foundation for rethinking criminal justice policy.

About this title

Review

This book will be widely read and cited, and it deserves to be. The authors have carefully crafed a model which addresses both stability and change in delinquency and crime over the life course, and they have done an impeccable job of testing it. -- Candace Kruttschnitt "Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency" The book's logical organization, the authors' parsimonious explanation of key concepts and theoretical propositions, and the comprehensive presentation of their findings interact to produce a volume that possesses a high degree of clarity and readability..."Crime in the Making" should be read by all developmental criminologists and those interested in the study of criminal careers. -- Douglas Yearwood "Criminologist" "Crime in the Making" deserves widespread attention. Imaginative and forthright, a well-argued book with broad theoretical and methodological implications. high degree of clarity and readability..."Crime in the Making" should be read by all developmental criminologists and those interested in the study of criminal careers.

About the Author

Robert J. Sampson is Professor and Chair of Sociology at Harvard University. John H. Laub is Professor of Criminology, University of Maryland.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674176049
• ISBN 13: 9780674176041
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320