Crime and the American Dream

Front Cover
Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2001 - Education - 130 pages
Using current statistics and analysis of crime rates to develop their theory, Messner (sociology, SUNY, Albany) and Rosenfeld (sociology, U. of Missouri, St. Louis) advance the argument that exceptionally high crime rates in the US are due to distinctive sociological patterns, in particular, the formula for the American Dream--a strong emphasis on the goal of monetary success and a weak emphasis on the importance of the legitimate means for the pursuit of success. They conclude with a proposal for a mature society built on mutual support and collective obligations. This new edition addresses recent drops in crime rates and is updated throughout. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR.

From inside the book

 

Contents

A SOCIETY ORGANIZED FOR CRIME
1
BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY
16
WhiteCollar Crimes
26
Copyright

8 other sections not shown

Common terms and phrases

achievement African-Americans American culture American Dream American society AmeriCorps analysis anomic anomie perspective anomie theory basic capitalist Chapter cities committed crime control crime in America crime rates criminal behavior criminal violence criminology cultural and social cultural deviance cultural ethos decommodification delinquency deviance differences discussion distinctive dominant drug Durkheim economic Edwin Sutherland Émile Durkheim explanation of crime Figure firearm functions goals high levels homicide rates important individual inner-city institutional balance institutional structure intermediate sanctions James Truslow Adams Kornhauser levels of crime liberal macrolevel males Merton Michael Milken Milken monetary success nations neighborhood noneconomic norms offending opportunities percent political population prison pursuit rates of serious relationship reported Richard Cloward robbery roles Rosenfeld serious crime social control social disorganization social institutions social organization social structure sociological sociological paradigm strain theory tion tural unemployment United victimization violent crime white-collar crime

About the author (2001)

Steven F. Messner is Distinguished Teaching Professor of Sociology at the University at Albany, State University of New York. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University and has taught at Columbia University and Nankai University in the People's Republic of China. His research has focused primarily on the relationship between features of social organization and violent crime rates. His other books include PERSPECTIVES ON CRIME AND DEVIANCE, (with Allen E. Liska), THEORETICAL INTEGRATION IN THE STUDY OF DEVIANCE AND CRIME, (with Marvin D. Krohn and Allen E. Liska), and CRIME AND SOCIAL CONTROL IN A CHANGING CHINA (with Jianhong Liu and Lening Zhang). Dr. Messner has also authored numerous articles and book chapters on the topic of criminal violence and is a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology. Richard Rosenfeld is a Curators Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a past President of the American Society of Criminology. He has written several articles on violent crime, crime statistics, and crime control policy, and his current research focuses on explaining changes in crime rates over time. He is an ASC Fellow and has served on the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Law and Justice.

Bibliographic information

TitleCrime and the American Dream
Criminal Justice Series
Wadsworth series in criminological theory
AuthorsSteven F. Messner, Richard Rosenfeld
Edition3, illustrated
PublisherWadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2001
Original fromthe University of Michigan
DigitizedJan 14, 2010
ISBN0534562779, 9780534562779
Length130 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Education / Counseling / General
Law / Criminal Law / General
Social Science / Criminology
  
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