Out of Control: Assessing the General Theory of Crime

Out of Control promises to be a key supplemental textbook in criminology and sociology courses, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. Providing an indispensable overview of Gottfredson and Hirschi's influential self-control theory, this fundamental text evaluates whether the theory truly helps us to understand the facts of crime. A range of prominent criminologists offers diverse views in fifteen original essays, providing students with the first proper assessment of self-control theory. This lucid book addresses important general considerations relevant to the theory, its relationship to other theories of crime, and its relevance to different types of crime. The book ends with a response from the originators of the theory, who tackle their critics' concerns and offer new explanations and revisions. This compelling text will be an asset for academics, researchers, and students interested in explaining criminal behavior.

Table of Contents:
Contents Preface xxx Contributors xxx Part I General Considerations 1 Out of Control? An Introduction to the General Theory of Crime 000 Erich Goode 2 Measuring Self-Control 000 Alex Piquero 3 Age, Sex, and Racial Distributions of Crime 000 David F. Greenberg 4 The Undeveloped Concept of Opportunity 000 Sally S. Simpson and Gilbert Geis 5 Parenting and Self-Control 000 Francis T. Cullen, James D. Unnever, John Paul Wright, and Kevin M. Beaver II Part II Theories of Crime 6 Self-Control and Social Learning Theory 000 Ronald L. Akers 7 Self-Control, Anomie, and Social Institutions 000 Richard Rosenfeld and Steven F. Messner 8 On the Compatibility of Social Disorganization and Self-Control 000 Ross L. Matsueda 9 A Feminist Consideration of Gender and Crime 000 LeeAnn Iovanni and Susan L. Miller Part III Types of Crime 10 Low Self-Control and High Organizational Control: The Paradoxes of White-Collar Crime 000 David O. Friedrichs and Martin D. Schwartz 11 Violent Crime 000 Richard B. Felson and D. Wayne Osgood 12 Property Crimes 000 Marc L. Swatt and Robert F. Meier 13 Drug Use and Criminal Behavior 000 Erich Goode Part IV Concluding Thoughts 14 Self-Control: A Hypercritical Assessment 000 Gilbert Geis 15 Critiquing the Critics: The Authors Respond 000 Travis Hirschi and Michael R. Gottfredson Bibliography 000 Index 000

About the Author :
Erich Goode is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and is currently Visiting Scholar at New York University. He is the editor of a half-dozen anthologies and the author of ten books, including Drugs in American Society.

Review :
"An excellent, balanced exploration of self-control theory that leaves readers with a clear understanding of the limitations as well as the strengths of the theory." - CHOICE "This book provides a good review of the criticism of Gottfredson and Hirschi's theories and a useful summary of common debates and arguments surrounding the role of self-control in crime causation. No other texts haveconsolidated these important arguments." - Per-Olof H. Wikstrom, University of Cambridge "Goode delivers the first book-length treatment of self-control theory, taking it well beyond its original boundaries. The contributors are especially engaging and differ greatly in the extent to which they are convinced by the theory. Whether a friend or foe of the theory, you will find here a thoughtful set of essays that expand your appreciation for the theory's contributions by linking it directly to both crime and criminological thinking. A must-read for serious students of criminology." - Gary LaFree, University of Maryland