The Value of Quantitative Analysis for a Critical Understanding of Crime and Society

Springer Science and Business Media LLC - Tập 17 - Trang 247-259 - 2009
Steven E. Barkan1
1Department of Sociology, University of Maine, Orono, USA

Tóm tắt

The value of quantitative analysis for a critical understanding of crime and society has often been questioned. This paper joins the debate by reviewing quantitative evidence on key criminological topics: the causes of crime, public opinion on crime, and the operation and impact of the criminal justice system. This evidence highlights the importance of economic deprivation and racial prejudice and discrimination for understanding U.S. crime and justice and points to the ineffectiveness of the nation’s “get tough” approach to crime control. In these ways, quantitative analysis has already bolstered central propositions in critical criminology and promises to continue to do so.

Tài liệu tham khảo

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