Crime, The Mystery of the Common-Sense Concept (Key Concepts) - Hardcover

Reiner, Robert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0745660304 ISBN 13: 9780745660301

Publisher: Polity, 2016

Synopsis

Crime is a source of endless fascination and fear. Yet behind the apparent consensus that crime must be fought, there is considerable conflict about what should or should not be treated as criminal, and even the most shocking crimes can inspire divisive debate.

This concise book explores the seemingly simple, common-sense concept of crime revealing the huge complexities, ambiguities and tensions that lie beneath it. Criminal law is often at odds with different moral perspectives and the practices of different cultures. The mass media distort the picture profoundly, as do politicians in pursuit of law and order votes. The criminal justice system tackles only a limited range of crimes – almost entirely ones committed by the poor and relatively powerless – while often neglecting the most dangerous and harmful activities of corporations and states, from the carnage of unjust wars to the tragedies engendered by austerity. It is only by examining the multiple and varied perspectives on crime that we can begin to understand and respond appropriately to this social phenomenon.

Written by a world-leading criminologist, this insightful book will be an invaluable and captivating introduction for students and interested readers of criminology, law, sociology and politics.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert Reiner is Professor of Criminology at the London School of Economics and Political Science

Review:

"This book displays in abundance the hallmarks of Robert Reiners work: it synthesizes a vast amount of literature and data into a remarkably accessible and compelling narrative, and it is both sociologically dispassionate and morally serious about its subject matter. The result is an accomplished introduction to the concept of crime."
Ian Loader, University of Oxford

"'Crime' is a keyword in contemporary politics and culture: widely used, powerfully consequential, and – for all its seeming simplicity – deeply complex and contested. In this masterly account, Robert Reiner traces the concepts multiple meanings and ramifications, its role in criminological theory and political discourse, and its intimate association with the history of capitalism. This is an essential, eye-opening guide to one of the central issues of our time."
David Garland, New York University

"Reiner is one of the few writers who can combine breadth with depth, sophistication and clarity. [] The end result is not merely a very good introductory textbook but a sophisticated discussion of the various meanings of crime, full of critical evaluative moments that encourage students to move on from current orthodoxies. [] Useful right through from first-year to Masters criminology and related disciplines, this book is, for me, the best short overview of the concept of crime on the market."
Steve Hall, Policing and Society

"Reiner brings together a vast amount of literature, and makes a compelling case."
Professional Security Magazine Online

"Crime is a succinct and eminently readable work that is none the worse for its occasional streak of combativeness. Notwithstanding the variety of topics covered, Reiners writing is invariably clear, rich in detail and draws on a variety of theoretical and empirical studies."
LSE Review of Books

"The more you read, the more you become aware that your view of crime is probably ill-judged and subjective, usually based on ignorance or a low-level desire to punish a hurt you think youve suffered Crime is well worth the effort of reading."
Tribune Magazine

"Useful right through from first-year to Masters criminology and related disciplines, this book is, for me, the best short overview of the concept of crime on the market."
Policing & Society

"Much of the book is essentially introductory, providing a lucid and readable overview of the way that the concept of crime is used in a range of different disciplines or institutions. [] However, running alongside this is a more complex argument which makes a real contribution to our understanding of the concept and its use."
Lindsay Farmer, Criminology and Criminal Justice

"[A] clear introductory textbook for social science undergraduates, which introduces some of the difficulties of the concept. [] The structure of the book is very clear: each chapter approaches the debatable concept of crime from a different angle."
The Weekly Worker

"Reiner provides an impressive overview of the legal, criminological, philosophical, and sociological literature on the concept, inciting the reader to delve further into the existing research. Despite the complexity of the subject matter, Reiner characteristically presents it in a clear, lively, and highly-readable way, peppering his text with cultural references and interesting anecdotes."
Emma Bell, The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice

"Often defined as a one-dimensional concept, Reiner exposes the striking complexities of crime, while at the same time offering insight into how western society has attempted to operate without a general consensus on the topic. [] For those unfamiliar with the history of the concept of crime and its role in Western Europe and America, this book provides a wealth of unbiased history, philosophical debates, and statistical evidence."
Criminal Law and Criminal Justice

About this edition

• Publisher: Polity
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0745660304
• ISBN 13: 9780745660301
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272