After reading this chapter, you should be able to
- Understand what criminology is and what criminologists do
- Define crime
- Recognize the difference between criminal and deviant acts and appreciate the complexity of this distinction
- Understand the legalistic approach to the study of crime and know why it is limiting
- Know what a theory is and explain the role of theorizing in the study of criminal behavior
- Understand the distinction between the social problems and social responsibility perspectives on crime causation
