Routledge (cover art by Ryan Williamson)
The Development of Criminological Thought traces the construction of ideas that were used to understand crime and criminality from the ancient Greeks up to contemporary theorists. A focus is placed upon the historical context and social events that influenced how criminologists viewed their field and understood criminal behavior. An emphasis is also placed on current theoretical approaches in criminology including personal interviews with luminaries in the field.
Reviews:
“Professor Chad Posick’s The Development of Criminological Thought is a thoughtful, interesting, and ebullient examination of theories of crime from antiquity to the present. With careful attention to the social and historical events that contextualize and frame criminological ideas and keen insights into the disciplinary and ideological skirmishes within academic criminology, Posick’s book is valuable not only as a primer on theory but also on the craft of criminology. After reading the book, it is clear why Posick is one of the leading young criminologists in the United States.”
– Matt DeLisi, Professor in the Department of Sociology, Iowa State University, USA, and Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Criminal Justice
“Situating the subject matter historically, culturally, and academically, Chad Posick offers a comprehensive and up-to-date view of criminological theorizing, skillfully showing how various theoretical explanations of crime would hold across time and space. The author has an easiness to synthetize and clearly present the main theories of delinquency, crime, and criminal victimization, as well as the most recent theoretical developments, including those that focus on contemporary transnational and international crime issues. Carefully written, interesting, accessible, and highly informative, this remarkable book is a pleasure to read.”
– Viviana Andreescu, Associate Professor of Justice Administration, University of Louisville, USA
The book is available here!
Great Debates in Criminology explores the role of theory and research in criminology. Adopting a unique and refreshing approach to criminological theory, this book focuses on the great debates in criminology from its inception as a field to the present day. It explores the debates that have motivated criminological thought, that have represented turning points in theoretical and empirical trajectories, that have offered mini-paradigm shifts, and that have moved the field forward. Coverage includes:
- Classical Debates, including the work of Lombroso, Durkheim and Sutherland,
- Sociological vs. psychological debates in criminology,
- Control theory and cultural deviance theory,
- Criminal career and trait-based theory,
- Theory testing in criminology,
- Critical theories in criminology,
- Debates on the state of criminology and criminal justice,
- Policy issues in criminology.
Each chapter explores several key debates, summarizes key points, and offers a discussion of its current empirical status. This book is novel in emphasizing the role of debate in criminology and offering an enlightening synthesis of theorists and their perspectives. It is essential reading for students taking courses on criminological theory and teachers of those theories.
Reviews:
“This well-researched and highly stimulating book presents excellent reviews of great debates in criminology, including sociological versus psychological perspectives, social control versus social learning, and criminal careers versus criminal propensity. It also reviews methodological debates (e.g. on trajectory analysis) and policy implications. It should be mandatory reading for all criminologists!”
– David P. Farrington, Emeritus Professor of Psychological Criminology, Cambridge University
“If there is anything that criminologists can agree on is that we enjoy spirited debates about the causes and correlates of crime as well as the policy decisions that need to be made in dealing with crime. It is appropriate, then, that we have a volume that nicely presents the different points of view on key criminological and criminal justice matters. Posick and Rocque develop what I believe to be the book that students will learn from and by challenged by as they delve into the heart of the either/or views on crime, one that provides an objective presentation of the sides and their facts.”
– Alex R. Piquero, Ashbel Smith Professor of Criminology, The University of Texas at Dallas
“Posick and Rocque provide a unique point-counterpoint overview of the leading concepts and various assumptions framing major explanations of crime. In a chronological unfolding of classical statements to contemporary perspectives, Great Debates in Criminology leads readers through an ideologically balanced, empirically informed, and engaging introduction to theoretical criminology.”
– J. Mitchell Miller, Editor of the American Journal of Criminal Justice
The book is available here!
In this second edition of The Criminal Brain, Nicole Rafter, Chad Posick, and Michael Rocque describe early biological theories of crime and provide a lively, up-to-date overview of the newest research in biosocial criminology. New chapters introduce the theories of the latter part of the 20th century; apply and critically assess current biosocial and evolutionary theories, the developments in neuro-imaging, and recent progressions in fields such as epigenetics; and finally, provide a vision for the future of criminology and crime policy from a biosocial perspective. The book is a careful, critical examination of each research approach and conclusion. Both compiling and analyzing the body of scholarship devoted to understanding the criminal brain, this volume serves as a condensed, accessible, and contemporary exploration of biological theories of crime and their everyday relevance.
You can order The Criminal Brain on Amazon and New York University Press now!
Biosocial criminology—and biosocial criminologists—focuses on both the environmental and biological factors that contribute to antisocial behavior. Importantly, these two domains are not separate parts of an equation but pieces of the same puzzle that fit together for a complete picture of the causes of crime/antisocial behavior.
Fitting the Facts of Crime applies a biopsychosocial lens to the “13 facts of crime” identified by John Braithwaite in his classic book, Crime, Shame and Reintegration. The authors unpack established facts—about gender and sex, age, environment, education, class, social bonds and associations, stress, and other influences—providing both empirical research and evidence from biopsychosocial criminology to address the etiology behind these facts and exactly how they are related to deviant behavior.
With their approach, the authors show how biopsychosocial criminology can be a unifying framework to enrich our understanding of the most robust and well-established topics in the field. In so doing, they demonstrate how biological and psychological findings can be responsibly combined with social theories to lend new insight into existing inquiries and solutions. Designed to become a standard text for criminology in general, Fitting the Facts of Crime introduces key concepts and applies them to real-world situations.
You can get this title here!
In Crime TV, Jonathan A. Grubb and Chad Posick bring together an eminent group of scholars to show us the ways in which crime—and the broader criminal justice system—are depicted on television. From Breaking Bad and Westworld to Mr. Robot and Homeland, this volume highlights how popular culture frames our understanding of crime, criminological theory, and the nature of justice through modern entertainment.
Featuring leading criminologists, Crime TV makes the key concepts and analytical tools of criminology as engaging as possible for students and interested readers. Contributors tackle an array of exciting topics and shows, taking a fresh look at feminist criminology on The Handmaid’s Tale, psychopathy on The Fall, the importance of social bonds on 13 Reasons Why, radical social change on The Walking Dead, and the politics of punishment on Game of Thrones.
Crime TV offers a fresh and exciting approach to understanding the essential concepts in criminology and criminal justice and how theories of crime circulate in popular culture.
You can get this title here!
Chad Posick 