Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
Marcus Felson is an American criminologist best known for co-developing the Routine Activity Theory and for his work in situational and environmental criminology. He has held academic positions at institutions including Texas State University and Rutgers University. Felson’s work focuses on how everyday environments and social structures create opportunities for crime—and how they can be
Lawrence E. Cohen was an American sociologist and criminologist best known for co-developing the Routine Activity Theory, one of the most influential frameworks in environmental and situational criminology. He held academic positions at the University of California, Irvine, and played a key role in shifting criminological focus from offender motivation to the situational contexts of
Henry D. McKay was an American sociologist and criminologist, best known for his collaboration with Clifford R. Shaw in developing the Social Disorganization Theory. As a key representative of the Chicago School of Sociology, McKay played a foundational role in establishing ecological and community-based approaches to understanding crime and delinquency. His work combined empirical rigor
Clifford R. Shaw was an American sociologist and criminologist, best known for co-developing the Social Disorganization Theory and for his pioneering work in urban sociology and juvenile delinquency. As a key figure of the Chicago School of Sociology, Shaw conducted extensive fieldwork on neighborhood dynamics and crime patterns in Chicago. His collaborations with Henry D.
James W. Messerschmidt is an American sociologist and criminologist known for his influential work on the intersections of gender, power, and crime. He is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Southern Maine. Messerschmidt’s research critically examines how masculinity is constructed, maintained, and enacted in relation to criminal behavior, and how social structures shape
Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer, best known as the founder of modern utilitarianism. His influential work An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789) laid the foundations for a consequentialist ethics based on the principle of „the greatest happiness of the greatest number.“ Bentham believed that laws and