CRIMINOLOGY, 2ND ED

• NCJ Number: 58746
• Author(s): R QUINNEY
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 463 pages
• Corporate Author: Little, Brown and Co
• Sale Source: Little, Brown and Co
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS DISCUSSION OF CRIMINOLOGY EXAMINES CRIME IN THE POLITICAL CONTEXT OF THE U.S. AND COVERS ITS CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS, INCLUDING THE LAW, THE OFFENDER, LAW ENFORCEMENT, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND CORRECTIONS.

Abstract

BASED ON MARXIST ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURE OF REALITY, CRIME IS VIEWED HISTORICALLY AND STRUCTURALLY IN RELATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAPITALIST SOCIETY. AFTER AN EXAMINATION OF THEORY AND METHOD IN CRIMINOLOGY, THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES IDEOLOGY AND THE 'IMAGE OF CRIME,' ARGUING THAT THE IDEOLOGY OF CRIME PREVAILING IN CAPITALIST SOCIETY IS INEVITABLY THAT OF THE RULING CLASS, AND THAT THIS IDEOLOGY IS A PRIMARY FORM OF CONTROL AND AN EXTENSION OF THE PREVAILING CAPITALIST IDEOLOGY BASED ON A SELECTIVE PRESENTATION OF ONLY ONE VIEW OF REALITY. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS, PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT CRIME, AND CRIME STATISTICS AND THEIR USE ARE CONSIDERED IN LIGHT OF THIS VIEWPOINT. IT IS MAINTAINED THAT LEGAL ORDER IN THE U.S. DETERMINES THE BEHAVIOR OFFICIALLY DEFINED AS CRIME AND PROVIDES THE CONTEXT FOR ADMINISTERING AND ENFORCING CRIMINAL LAW. LAW IS A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS, AND CRIMINAL LAW IS THE REGULATION OF HUMAN CONDUCT BY THOSE WHO HAVE THE AUTHORTIY TO ACT IN SOCIETY'S NAME. THE VOLUME DESCRIBES THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINAL LAW, THE LEGISLATING OF CRIME CONTROL, CRIMINAL LAWS IN THE U.S., AND THE ROLE OF LAW IN PROTECTING BUSINESS, REGULATING OCCUPATIONAL PRACTICE, AND CONTROLLING MORALITY AND THE SOCIAL ORDER. PATTERNS OF CRIME ARE EXAMINED IN THREE CATEGORIES--CRIMES OF THE STATE, OF ECONOMY, AND CONVENTIONAL CRIME. FINALLY, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE ARE DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO THEIR ROLE AS DEVICES FOR MAINTAINING THE ESTABLISHED SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ORDER IN THE COUNTRY. THE TEXT CLOSES WITH SUMMARY STATEMENTS ON MARXIST ANALYSIS OF CRIME AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAPITALISM AND THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AS WELL AS A PREDICTION OF THE DEMISE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND SOCIETY'S INEVITABLE TURN TOWARDS SOCIALISM. REFERENCES AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)