Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1971. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 448-461).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-98).

Thesis (doctoral)--Helsingin Yliopisto, 1931. / Includes bibliographical references.

Crime as a social phenomenon has customarily been examined as sets of occurrences which happen outside the boundaries of the legitimate social structure. Research by Lawrence E. Cohen and Marcus Felson suggests that more fruitful explanatory models of crime may be developed from the routine activity approach, an approach which regards crime as a routine activity in the same sense that everyday work may be regarded as routine activity. Such an approach is consonant with the precepts of human ecology. Human ecology as a theoretical model posits an interrelationship among the divergent parts of the social fabric. In such a scenario crime is regarded as another manifestation of a symbiotic social interrelation, one among many that flourish in the social whole. Crime, in this approach, is a routine activity, just as work is a routine activity.

published_or_final_version / Criminology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

In order to determine if curricula in postsecondary programs for offenders possess special content included specifically for these students, a comprehensive review of the literature on postsecondary correctional education was conducted, followed by the development of five case studies of offender-related programs. To decide which programs were most appropriate for the study, a panel of national and regional authorities on the subject was assembled to nominate institutions for study. The responses of the panelists were quantified, and produced these nominations: (1) Southeastern Illinois College and its program at the Vienna Correctional Center; (2) The University of Washington Resident Release Project, which consists of inmates living on campus and attending classes; (3) Rhode Island College's Project OPTIONS, which is currently in suspension for lack of funds, although it has the most specialized credit offerings; (4) Hartnell College which, at the state prison in Soledad, California, has a non-credit program with courses specifically tailored to meet inmate needs and interests; and (5) Cuesta College, which has a program managed by a prison educator. The differences which exist in course content are largely a result of administrative planning, but some social science faculty report that they alter their courses to meet student needs and interests. Virtually no elements are added on the basis of a published theory of principle, but most special content exists to integrate the offender into society after a period of incarceration. Although two of the programs studied have been evaluated on the basis of recidivism figures, the studies have flaws. Evaluation is, therefore, an area in need of further study. Several specific types of related research projects might answer questions raised by this study, and the use of establishd curricular theories in planning programs would provide an empirical framework for correctional postsecondary education. Also of particular interest would be basing program mission on the welfare of society in general rather than considering only the needs of offenders.

This study tests the validity of two theories of crime: economic choice (as manifest in the criminal career paradigm) and social control. The test of these two theories is primarily methodological, in that four types of crime data (official and longitudinal (Uniform Crime Reports), official and cross-sectional (Bail Decisionmaking Study), self-report and longitudinal (National Youth Survey), and self-report and cross-sectional (Seattle Youth Study)) and a variety of graphical and statistical techniques are used to compare findings on (1) the stability of the age distribution of crime, (2) the prevalence of offense specialization, and (3) the differences in the causes of participating in crime compared to the causes of frequency of criminal activity among those individuals committing crimes. The findings on the relation between age and crime show the general shape of the age-crime curve is stable across year of the data or curve, type of data, cohort, and age group. The tests for offense specialization reveal that offenders are versatile. An individual's current offense type is not predictable, with much accuracy, on the basis of prior offending. Again, the lack of offense specialization held across type of data, but age, race, and gender distinctions also failed to alter significantly the observed pattern of versatility. Findings on the causes of participation in crime and frequency of criminal activity among active offenders showed only trivial differences in the set of statistically significant predictors for each operationalization of crime and delinquency. Two distinct operationalizations of frequency also showed no substantial difference in the set of statistically significant predictors. Similar to the findings on age and crime, and offense specialization, the pattern of results for the participation and frequency analyses held across type of data. In sum, the results tended to support the predictions of social control theory over those of the economic choice-criminal career view of crime.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-90).

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992.