Crime and the American DreamUsing the basic ideas, insights, and conceptual tools of sociology, Messner and Rosenfeld present a provocative introduction to alternative ways of thinking about crime. They provide both an insightful and comprehensive analysis of the Anomie tradition as well as other existing theories while offering a distinctive theoretical perspective to explain the exceptionally high levels of serious crime in the United States. They integrate empirical and quantitative data with ethnographic and qualitative data to provide a clear, succinct and unique discussion of crime and the American dream which is both accessible and interesting to students. |
Contents
The Virtues and Vices of the American Dream | 6 |
CrossNational Comparisons of Crime | 19 |
WhiteCollar Crimes | 27 |
Copyright | |
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achievement Adams African Americans American culture American Dream American society AmeriCorps analysis anomic anomic pressures anomie perspective anomie theory associated basic black Americans capitalist Chapter committed competitive conservative corporate crime crime control policy crime in America crime rates criminal behavior Criminology cultural and social cultural ethos decommodification Delinquency devaluation differences discussion distinctive dominant drug economic effective Émile Durkheim explanation of crime functions gender goals high levels homicide rates important individual inequality institutional balance institutional structure intermediate sanctions James Truslow Adams Kornhauser levels of crime liberal logic macrolevel males means ment Merton Michael Milken Milken monetary success nations neighborhood Newsweek norms offenders opportunities parents percent political population prison pursuit reduce reform relationship rewards robbery roles schools serious crime social control social disorganization social institutions social organization social structure sociological sociological paradigm tion United victimization violence violent crime War on Poverty white-collar crime York