The Usefulness of Sociological Theories in Explaining Crime and the Control of Crime

The Usefulness of Sociological Theories in Explaining Crime and the Control of Crime

This paper seeks to explore the usefulness of Sociological Theories in

explaining crime and whether in doing so there arises implications for

probation practice. I shall begin by providing a brief explanation for

the historical development of criminological thinking, starting with

Classicism and moving onto Positivism both which lay the foundations

for the development of sociological theories in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Analysis of the literature has highlighted the vast array of theories

to which my attention will be paid. However, due to the limitations of

this piece of work and in order to provide an in-depth account of the

usefulness of particular theories I have chosen to focus on two;

Labelling Theory and Subcultural Theory. I will provide a thorough

account of how they attempt to explain crime and how offenders are

propelled into crime and the usefulness of such theories. Finally my

analysis will focus on the role of these when working with offenders

and will highlight the implications for probation practice.

Different writers have attempted to construct historical connections

for the development of criminology. I will begin with the emergence of

Classicism, which grew out of the Enlightenment movement in the

eighteenth-century. This was influenced by the work of Cesare Beccaria

and his publication the Dei Delitti e Delle Pene (On Crimes and

Punishment) in 1764 (Beccaria, 1963, cited Cavadino and Dignan 2002,

p46). This book provided a critique of the Criminal Justice System in

Europe, which was deemed arbitrary and harshly retributive, dominated

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