Crime and the Life Course

<p>In recent years the lifecourse perspective has become a popular theoretical orientation toward crime. Yet despite its growing importance in the field of criminology most textbooks give it only cursory treatment. <em>Crime and the Lifecourse: An Introduction</em> by Michael L. Benson provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary research and theory on the life-course approach to crime. The book emphasizes a conceptual understanding of this approach. A special feature is the integration of qualitative and quantitative research on criminal life histories. This book: </p> <ul> <p> <li>provides an overview of the life course approach and describes the major concepts and issues in lifecourse theory as it applies to criminology</li> <p></p> <p> <li>reviews evidence on biological and genetic influences on crime</li> <p></p> <p> <li>reviews research on the role of the family in crime and juvenile delinquency</li> <p></p> <p> <li>provides a detailed discussion of the criminological lifecourse theories of Moffitt Hagan Sampson and Laub and others</li> <p></p> <p> <li>discusses the connections between youthful crime and adult outcomes in education occupation and marriage</li> <p></p> <p> <li>presents an application of the lifecourse approach to white-collar crime</li> <p></p> <p> <li>discusses how macro sociological and historical developments have influenced the shape of the lifecourse in American society as it relates to patterns in crime.</li></ul>