Criminology and Social Science

Holly Ventura Miller, J. Mitchell Miller

Research output: Chapter or Contribution to BookEntry for encyclopedia/dictionary

Abstract

Criminology is the systematic study of law making, law breaking, and law enforcing. Criminology is a social science emphasizing systematic data collection, theoretical-methodological symmetry, and the accumulation of empirical evidence toward the goal of understanding the nature and extent of crime in society. Rooted in the larger umbrella discipline of sociology, criminology is related to, but distinct from, the more applied field of criminal justice. The discipline of criminology offers a wide range of theoretical explanations for both individual criminality and aggregate-level crime rates and utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches.
Original languageAmerican English
Title of host publicationThe Encyclopedia of Theoretical Criminology
EditorsJ. Mitchell Miller
Place of PublicationChichester, West Sussex, UK
ISBN (Electronic)9781118517390
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 26 2014

Publication series

NameThe Encyclopedia of Theoretical Criminology

Keywords

  • Crime
  • Criminology
  • Deviance and Social Control
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Qualitative Methods
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Sociology of Crime
  • Sociology of Law

Disciplines

  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Political Science
  • Criminology

Cite this