Book Description

Crime, Deviance, and Social Control in the 21st Century seeks to go beyond traditional criminology texts and handle the subject through a perspective focusing on power interest and social justice. Timely and accessibly written, the text provides a comprehensive overview of social and criminological theory, as well as recent trends in theorizing power and deviance. It also delves into the significant implications the committal and control of crime have for human rights. This text aims to answer the questions: “Who has the power to decide which acts are deviant?”; “Whose interests are being served by a given law?”; and “Which social groups are being disadvantaged when society has been constructed along such legally demarcated lines?” The contributors dissect the criminalization of dissent, the changing nature of what constitutes deviance, internet hate, self-harming, transgender identities, the growing rise of transnational criminal enterprises, internet fraud, and the increased public attention on police practices. With a Canadian focus placed in a global context, the text challenges readers to consider crime and deviance as socially structured phenomena, while recognizing that crime is a worldwide issue. Crime, Deviance, and Social Control in the 21st Century is a critical resource for undergraduate students in criminology, police services, and sociology. FEATURES: - Offers an accessible and comprehensive introductory overview of criminology theory - Employs a social justice approach to the fundamentals of criminology, deviance, law, and social control - Includes bolded key terms, a glossary, real-world case studies, and questions for critical thinking