NCJ Number
16194
Journal
Criminology Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: (AUGUST 1974) Pages: 131-154
Date Published
1974
Length
24 pages
Annotation
A CRITIQUE OF THE CRIMINOLOGY 'CLASSIC', THE PROFESSIONAL THIEF, WHICH INCLUDES A REVIEW OF THE WORK BY PROFESSIONAL THIEVES AND A CONTENT ANALYSIS WHICH FINDS THE WORK DATED AND NARROW IN SCOPE.
Abstract
THE PROFESSIONAL THIEF, CO-AUTHORED BY CHIC CONWELL, A THIEF, AND EDWIN SUTHERLAND, DOCUMENTS THE SYSTEM AND NORMS OF THEFT. IN AN EFFORT TO EXAMINE THE VALIDITY AND SCOPE OF THIS WORK, THE AUTHORS ARRANGED TO HAVE SIX THIEVES READ THE PROFESSIONAL THIEF. IN GENERAL, IT WAS STATED THAT THEY FOUND THE BOOK DATED AND WERE UNWILLING TO CONCEDE THAT CONWELL'S IDEA OF THE THIEF STILL PERSONIFIED THE PROFESSION. A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE DOCUMENTATION AND ANNOTATION PROVIDED BY SUTHERLAND TO SUPPLEMENT CONWELL'S TESTAMENT WAS ALSO UNDERTAKEN. A REVIEW OF CONWELL'S CRIMINAL BACKGROUND AND OF SUTHERLAND'S METHODOLOGY WAS INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE WORK PROVIDES ONLY A NARROW VIEW OF PROFESSIONAL THEFT, AND THAT MANY ASPECTS OF PROFESSIONAL THEFT WHICH WERE EXCLUDED IN THE WORK MAY ACTUALLY BE VALID AND SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF THE SUBCULTURE OF THIEVES. THE AUTHORS ALSO CONTEND THAT PROFESSIONAL THEFT HAS CHANGED CONSIDERABLY SINCE THIS WORK ORIGINALLY APPEARED.