Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 8th Edition

Criminology: A Sociological Understanding presents award-winning coverage of the sociology of criminology. It assesses the impact of race, ethnicity, gender and social class on crime and the treatment of criminals. Moving beyond simple “get tough” approaches, Author Steven Barkan asserts that understanding the social causes of criminal behavior is the first step to addressing it. He urges readers to take a critical eye to our reliance on the criminal justice system as a means of reducing crime.

The thoroughly revised 8th Edition includes the latest statistics and research on crime and criminal justice available as the text went to production. Dozens of new references have been added and older ones deleted.