Described by the learned editor of this new Routledge collection as ‘both a subfield and a fundamental approach to criminological inquiry’, theoretical criminology is concerned with debates about foundational analytical concepts: what is crime? What is punishment? It also seeks to explain outcomes: what causes crime? What is the effect of punishment? What makes a criminal?

As theoretical criminology continues rapidly to develop, this new four-volume ‘mini library’ meets the need for an authoritative reference work to make sense of the major works that have contributed to its growth. The gathered pieces—assembled by a distinguished scholar from the University of Oxford’s Centre for Criminology—explore the nature of ‘theory’ and ‘explanation’ within criminology, and the sometimes fraught relationship between the two. Moreover, the collection maps the chronological development of criminology theory to provide a clear sense of its evolution, as well as to enable users to understand and explore the links between criminological analysis and general social, political, and cultural theory.

The fully indexed collection is also supplemented by the editor’s new introduction which provides a critical overview and analysis, and places the collected materials in their historical and intellectual context. Indeed, for researchers and students, Theoretical Criminology is an essential one-stop research and pedagogic resource.

Mary Bosworth is Professor of Criminology at University of Oxford, UK.