Criminological Theory: A Genetic-Social Approach

Abstract

In an age of rapid advances in behavioural genetics, this book applies a unique genetic-social framework to the study of crime and criminal behaviour in areas such as critical criminology, masculinities and crime, feminist criminologies, postmodernism and post-structuralism.
Moving beyond the existing theoretical obstacles confronting criminological theory including biophobia and the oversocialised gaze, this book draws upon evidence from evolutionary psychology and behavioural genetics to provide an up-to-date and more balanced account of the mutuality between genes and environment. Owen acknowledges that biological factors may 'switch on' genetic impulses to generate behaviour that can be labelled as 'criminal' when they interact with other social and psychological factors, and also considers human beings as reflexive agents with the agency to choose not to engage in criminal activities where they believe that the rewards are outweighed by negative outcomes or actions which offend moral prohibitions.
Providing a new direction for criminological theorising, this book will appeal to scholars of Criminology, Sociology, Social Policy, Psychology and Philosophy.