Psychosocial Criminology
- David Gadd - Manchester University, UK, University of Manchester, UK
- Tony Jefferson - University of Keele, UK, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, Sheffield University, UK
What makes people commit crime?
Psychosocial Criminology demonstrates how a psychosocial approach can illuminate the causes of particular crimes, challenging readers to re-think the similarities and differences between themselves and those involved in crime.
The book critiques existing psychological and sociological theories before outlining a more adequate understanding of the criminal offender. It sheds new light on a series of crimes - rape, serial murder, racial harassment , 'jack-rolling' (mugging of drunks), domestic violence - and contemporary criminological issues such as fear of crime, cognitive-behavioural interventions and restorative justice.
Gadd and Jefferson bring together theories about identity, subjectivity and gender to provide the first comprehensive account of their psychoanalytically inspired approach. For each topic, the theoretical perspective is supported by individual case studies, which are designed to facilitate the understanding of theory and to demonstrate its application to a variety of criminological topics.
This important and lucid book is written primarily for upper level undergraduates, postgraduates and teachers of criminology. It is particularly useful for students undertaking a joint degree in criminology and psychology. It will also appeal to critical psychologists, psychoanalysts, students of biographical methods and those pursuing social work training.
David Gadd is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Keele University.
Tony Jefferson is Professor of Criminology at Keele University.
'In this revolutionary new book, Gadd and Jefferson re-discover The Person behind the criminal label and pave the way for the development of a new way of doing and thinking about criminology. Those of us who became criminologists because we care about people and the complex lives they live will find this book a much needed re-affirmation of the possibilities of humanistic research in the discipline. Students (postgraduate and advanced undergrads) will find this a highly accessible, lively and evocative challenge to everything they thought they new about criminology.'
Shadd Maruna, Queen's University, Belfast
'The book is a recommendation for all who are interested in a personality-centred explanation of crime, since it provides essential insight into a deeper understanding of crime' -
Helmut Kury
Monatsschrift für Kriminologie (Monthly Journal of Criminology)
An excellent additional resource to students studying criminal psychology and offender management modules. I shall be recommending this to my Foundation Degree and BA programmes in criminal justice and offender management programmes. it examines contemporary issues such as the fear of crime, rape, and serial murder.
In teaching the undergraduate second year module, 'Psychology and Social Behaviour', I find the work of Wendy Hollway and Tony Jefferson invaluable; drawing from Doing Qualitative Research Differently, exploring 'why Vince got sick' and 'the case of Ivy'. Having been recommended to read David Gadd's and Tony Jefferson's 'Psychosocial Criminology' I have found another useful resource for communicating the complexity of psychosocial approaches to students; and this text will definitely be on the reading list.
Particularly of interest to my undergraduate students studing the more psychological modules. Informative and accessible for students
an excellent piece of litetrarture that will help First year Higher Education students, with their assignments. Written by respected experts in the field it presents good information in a claeer and precise manner.
This is a fascinating discourse on the integration of psychodynamic theory with contemporary criminology. However I would say that this text does presume its readers to have some previous understanding of object relations, and so, I would recommend it as supplementary reading to undergraduate Mental Health Nurses, given that their academic focus is almost entirely on CBT, an approach that is received rather critically by the authors of this book, and so probably best appreciated by them once they start working at post graduate level.
Introduces students to an area of the discipline not usually given much attention. The work enables them to extend their views and examine the area holistically therefore broadening the understanding of Criminology as a whole science
