A Critique of Criminology: Toward an Integrated Structural-Marxist Theory of Delinquency Production

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency is understood as a latent outcome of the social reproduction process of capitalism. A structural-Marxist understanding of contradictory social relations that contour life in modern capitalism allows us to reinterpret and apply the insights from various criminology theories in building a new theoretical approach. A review and critique of the major theoretical perspectives in criminology are provided, and a structural-Marxist perspective on the larger social structural context is explicated. A new integrated theory of delinquency, grounded in Marxian insights on the role of productive relations in shaping other social relations, is developed and supported with empirical evidence from research representing a broad range of theoretical perspectives.