Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
Punishment and Social Structure by Georg Rusche and Otto Kirchheimer is considered a groundbreaking work of critical criminology. First published in 1939, it argues that penal systems do not merely follow moral or legal principles but are shaped primarily by economic structures and power relations. The authors analyze the historical development of punishment in relation
Introduction Sociology is an empirical and theoretical discipline. In addition to its applied topics and theories (presented here), the field is also defined by its engagement with foundational theoretical perspectives. The works collected below can be considered key works of sociology. Spanning over 150 years of theory-building, these texts are considered classics: they have been
Ferdinand Tönnies’ work „Community and Society“ (1887) is considered one of the earliest and most important key texts in sociology. In this work, Tönnies introduces the fundamental distinction between two forms of social life: the traditionally rooted, emotionally bound community and the rationally calculated, purpose-driven society. This differentiation continues to influence sociological analyses of social
Robert K. Merton’s Anomie Theory expands Émile Durkheim’s concept of anomie by linking deviant behavior to social structures that create unequal access to culturally approved goals. Crime is understood not as individual pathology but as a collective adaptation to blocked opportunities in a stratified society. Merton argues that when socially approved goals (such as economic