Criminology

This entry describes the main theoretical orientations of criminology as a multidisciplinary field. After distinguishing two approaches to the doing of criminology, it notes three broad levels of criminological explanation: the individual, the situational, and the structural. The entry then considers a key conceptual divide within criminology that hinges upon whether crime is explained primarily in terms of individual choice or is seen to be determined by biological, psychological, or social factors, and if so, how.