What Is Crime?

Stuart Henry is professor and director of interdisciplinary studies at Wayne State University, where he also serves as associate dean of the College of Lifelong Learning. Mark M. Lanier is associate professor of criminal justice and legal studies at the University of Central Florida.

• Chapter 1 IntroductionChapter 2 Crime in Context: The Scope of the ProblemPart 3 Classic StatementsChapter 4 The Nature of CrimeChapter 5 Who Is the Criminal?Chapter 6 Defining Patterns of Crime and Types of OffendersChapter 7 Defenders of Order or Guardians of Human Rights?Part 8 New DirectionsChapter 9 Crime as Social InteractionChapter 10 Defining Crime in a Community Setting: Negotiation and Legitimation of Community ClaimsChapter 11 The Media’s Role in the Definition of CrimeChapter 12 Racing Crime: Definitions and DilemmasChapter 13 Constitutive Definition of Crime: Power as HarmChapter 14 A Needs-Based, Social Harms Definition of CrimePart 15 Integrating ApproachesChapter 16 Crime as DisreputeChapter 17 The Prism of Crime: Toward an Integrated Definition of CrimeChapter 18 NotesChapter 19 IndexChapter 20 About the Authors

If I had my way, a course on What Is Crime? would be a prerequisite to introductory criminology. Leading criminological theorists of the last several generations debate the issue. It is the most accessible book on the topic—well edited and organized.