Ball, John C.

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University of Kentucky

Kentucky Law JournalVolume 50 | Issue 2 Article 101961Sociology of Crime edited by Joseph S. RoucekJohn C. BallUniversity of KentuckyFollow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/kljRight click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefitsyou.This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Kentucky LawJournal by an authorized editor of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact UKnowledge@lsv.uky.edu.Recommended CitationBall, John C. (1961) "Sociology of Crime edited by Joseph S. Roucek," Kentucky Law Journal: Vol. 50 : Iss. 2 , Article 10.Available at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/klj/vol50/iss2/10BOOK REvmvsSOCIOLOGY OF CRIME. Edited by Joseph S. Roucek. New York, ThePhilosophical Library, 1961. 551 pp.This book consists of twenty-one separate papers dealing withvarious aspects of criminal behavior and crime. All of these papers,including the last five by Professor Roucek, were apparently writtenexpressly for the present volume.It is difficult to assess the papers collectively since there is nocentral theme to the volume and the individual selections differmarkedly in range of subject and quality of presentation. In general,however, the papers are discursive and superficial. One suspects thatthe absence of a meaningful plan for the work-for example, geographyis classified as a "socio-psychological aspect"-prevented many of thecontributors from formulating and developing the scholarly papers ofwhich they are capable.There were several papers which were informative and wellwritten. In this regard, the selection by Sidney Kaplan and that byPauline Callard come to mind. In the former, the relationship ofgeographical factors to crime is carefully considered with respect tocontemporary research findings. Prefessor Kaplan observes that cli-matic and ecological influences are generally of negligible conse-quence, but that they cannot, therefore, be summarily dismissed. In"Crime and Criminology in England" Pauline Callard analyzes recenttrends in crime rates. The increase in indictable offenses during thenineteen-fifties is found to be greatest in sexual offenses, violenceagainst the person and malicious injuries to property.Perhaps it is not an inaccurate generalization to hold that thepresent collection of papers reflects the contemporary state of crimi-nology in America. While there are several scholarly papers includedin the work, the over-all impression conveyed to the reader is that ofan omnibus discipline without a foundation in empirical science.Platitudinous injunctions directed toward school teachers, counselorsand administrations--Juvenile delinquents, no matter what their prob-lems, are human beings in need of affection, recognition, security andunderstanding," (page 233)-are an inappropriate substitute for em-pirical statements and analysis. And while it may be apt and clever toobserve that "prostitution is here to stay as long as sex remains," (page112) such statements hardly contribute to our knowledge of femalecriminality. In sum, I believe this collection of papers would have beenmuch improved had there been a more careful selection of studies andhad these been related to a central topic in criminology.John C. Ball**Professor of Sociology, University of Kentucky.

Sociology of Crime edited by Joseph S. Roucek

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Sociology of Crime edited by Joseph S. Roucek

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