The evolution of criminological theories

Since the 1970s, the field of criminology has produced numerous philosophies, theories, and research programs. This has resulted in unresolved debates over philosophical positions, needless competitive theory testing, an inconsistent use of terminology, and general disarray in the field. These problems have hampered theory development and obscured our understanding of theory growth in criminology. In addition, little has been written about theory building in criminology; this has also contributed to the confusing proliferation of criminological theories. Literature from the philosophy of science can help to alleviate some of the confusion and provide some guidance for theorizing in criminology. In this dissertation, a model of theory growth is proposed and applied to several contemporary research programs relevant to the study of crime and criminality. Wagner’s (1984) work on theory building in sociology serves as a foundation for the model used in this dissertation. Ideas from the philosophy of science literature (Feyerabend, 1976; Laudan, 1977) and previous work on theory building in criminology (Bernard and Snipes, 1996) have also been incorporated into the model. Research programs that are considered include radical criminology, neoclassical-deterrence and postclassical explanations of crime, psychodynamic, humanist, behaviourist, and moral development research programs from psychology, biosocial explanations of criminality, and developmental-life course theories of crime and criminality. The application of this model helps to provide an increased understanding of the history of criminological ideas and is intended to inform future theory building efforts in criminology. Practical implications of the various theories and research programs are also explored.