A lucid text addressed to students and scholars, this book explores some of the key controversies that have stimulated the scientific study of crime: disputes about the connections between gender, class, and crime; policing; the criminality of our cities; the role of peer groups in the causes of crime; and links between drugs and crime. In pursuing the resolution of key controversies surrounding these and other issues, the authors introduce students to fundamental methods of research and analysis. The book matches the methods of the field with important theoretical and empirical issues,...

The 12 papers in this volume examine how and why inequality affects the patterns of crime and criminal justice. The contributors evaluate the merits of various theoretical ideas, debates and controversies; document the dynamics of inequality in varied crime settings; examine methodologies used in exploring the crime-inequality relationship; and set forth new research and policy agendas for future work.