Welcome back to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. We’re exploring ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory’ by Roger Hopkins Burke. In Episode 10, we delve deeper into the structural roots of crime with conflict and radical criminological theories.

This episode, based on Chapter 10 of Roger Hopkins Burke’s An Introduction to Criminological Theory, explores the structural and ideological critiques offered by conflict and radical criminological theories.

We examine:

⚔️ Conflict Theories – Inspired by thinkers like Thorsten Sellin and George Vold, these theories argue that law and criminality are shaped by struggles between competing interest groups. Laws reflect the values of the powerful, often leading to the marginalization and criminalization of weaker or minority groups.

📉 Radical Criminology – Drawing heavily from Marxist ideology, this school of thought sees crime as an inevitable outcome of capitalist inequality. According to this view, the criminal justice system functions primarily to protect the interests of the ruling class, framing working-class deviance while overlooking corporate crime and structural violence.

🇬🇧 We also look at the New Criminology movement in the UK, which aimed to build a comprehensive understanding of deviance by integrating individual motivation with wider social structures. While this approach was ambitious, it has been critiqued for being too theoretical or idealistic.

For CSS aspirants preparing for Criminology, Sociology, or Political Science, this episode is a must-listen for understanding how power, inequality, and ideology shape both crime and its control.

You’re listening to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. We’re exploring ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory’ by Roger Hopkins Burke. In Episode 9, we dive into the victimised actor model of crime, with a special focus on labelling and conflict theories that challenge traditional notions of deviance."

In this episode, based on Chapter 9 of An Introduction to Criminological Theory, we explore the victimised actor model— a perspective that sees individuals as shaped by social structures and labels rather than inherently criminal or fully rational.

We unpack two foundational strands:

🔖 Labelling Theory – Rooted in symbolic interactionism, phenomenology, and ethnomethodology, this approach views deviance not as an intrinsic quality of an act, but as a label imposed by society. We explore how deviant identities are socially constructed, how labels lead to deviance amplification, and how moral panics influence public perception.

⚖️ Conflict Theory – Drawing from Marx, Weber, Simmel, and Dahrendorf, this perspective examines how power dynamics and inequality shape the legal system, influence which behaviors are criminalized, and highlight the selective application of justice.

We also touch on criticisms of these theories and their evolution in recent years.

Perfect for CSS candidates studying Criminology, Sociology, or Political Science, this episode challenges you to rethink how crime is defined — and who gets to define it.

Welcome to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. We’re covering ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory’ by Roger Hopkins Burke. In Episode 8, we explore how female criminality has been understood — and misunderstood — through the lens of classical positivist theories."

In this episode, we dive into Chapter 8 of Roger Hopkins Burke’s An Introduction to Criminological Theory, turning our attention to how criminological theories have approached female criminality—often with significant bias.

We examine three major strands of positivist criminology and their interpretations of women who commit crime:

🧬 Biological Positivism – including Lombroso’s outdated and disproven notions of women as biologically passive or atavistic criminals.

🧠 Psychological Positivism – analyzing perspectives from Freud and W.I. Thomas that linked crime in women to emotional instability, sexuality, or psychological dysfunction, often ignoring context.

🏘️ Sociological Positivism – exploring theories like anomie, subcultural theory, and differential association, while critiquing their male-centered assumptions and failure to account for the distinct social and economic conditions women face.

We also discuss the concept of “malestream criminology” — the historical dominance of male viewpoints in theory development — and why this matters for CSS aspirants seeking a complete and nuanced understanding of criminal behavior across genders.

This episode is key for anyone preparing for CSS exams in Criminology, Gender Studies, or Sociology, and for listeners interested in how theory often reflects — and distorts — real social dynamics.

Welcome back to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. In this season, we’re covering Roger Hopkins Burke’s ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory.’ In Episode 7, we shift focus to the sociological lens, exploring how society shapes crime and deviance.

In Episode 7, we dive into sociological positivism — a school of thought that views crime as a product of social structures and environments, not just individual traits.

Based on Chapter 7 of An Introduction to Criminological Theory by Roger Hopkins Burke, this episode unpacks major sociological theories including:

🌍 Durkheim’s Anomie and Social Disorganization – exploring how the breakdown of norms and regulation can foster deviant behavior.

🏙️ The Chicago School – analyzing how urban areas, especially "zones in transition," create the conditions for crime.

⚖️ Merton’s Strain Theory – explaining how the gap between societal goals and available means leads to deviant adaptations.

🎭 Deviant Subculture Theories – investigating how groups form around shared values that oppose mainstream norms, sustaining criminal behavior over time.

We also reflect on how poverty, inequality, urban decay, and community structures contribute to the persistence of crime, making these theories highly relevant for both CSS preparation and real-world policy analysis.

Welcome to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. In this season, we’re unpacking ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory’ by Roger Hopkins Burke. In Episode 6, we explore the fascinating world of psychological theories of crime — diving into the inner mind to understand what drives criminal behavior.

In Episode 6, we journey into the psychological foundations of crime, as presented in Chapter 6 of An Introduction to Criminological Theory by Roger Hopkins Burke.

We examine how internal factors — thoughts, emotions, and early life experiences — influence criminal behavior, focusing on three major psychological approaches:

🧠 Psychodynamic Theories – rooted in Freud’s work, suggesting that unconscious conflicts, childhood trauma, and a weak conscience can predispose individuals to crime.

🐾 Behavioral Learning Theories – based on Pavlov, Skinner, and Eysenck, these explore how criminal behavior is learned through reinforcement, conditioning, and traits associated with antisocial personality disorder.

👥 Cognitive Learning Theories – including Gabriel Tarde, Edwin Sutherland, and Akers’ Social Learning Theory, emphasizing how people learn criminal behavior from social environments and peer influences.

We also touch on the role of cognitive-behavioral interventions in modern crime prevention and rehabilitation strategies.

This episode is ideal for CSS candidates, students of criminology, or anyone curious about how psychology meets justice.

Welcome to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. We’re exploring ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory’ by Roger Hopkins Burke. In today’s episode — Chapter 5 — we turn our attention to the biological roots of crime and examine how biology has shaped, and sometimes distorted, our understanding of criminal behavior."

In Episode 5, we explore the Biological Foundations of Criminal Behavior, as outlined in Chapter 5 of An Introduction to Criminological Theory by Roger Hopkins Burke.

We begin with the origins of biological positivism in the Italian School, led by figures like Lombroso, Ferri, and Garofalo, who sought to identify criminal types through physical and biological traits. While controversial today, these ideas laid the groundwork for scientific inquiry into the nature of crime.

This episode covers:

• Criminal family and twin studies
• Intelligence, body type, and genetic theories
• Brain dysfunction and disorders like autism and psychosis
• Biochemical factors such as hormones, blood sugar, and substance use
• Ethical and social concerns around biological determinism in justice

We critically evaluate how far biological theories can go in explaining crime—and where they fall short in accounting for broader social, psychological, and environmental influences.

This is a vital listen for anyone preparing for the CSS exam or seeking to understand how nature and nurture intersect in the study of crime.

Welcome to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. This season, we're exploring Roger Hopkins Burke’s ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory.’ In Episode 4, we take a closer look at contemporary rational actor theories, focusing on deterrence, rational choice, and routine activities theory — key frameworks that shape modern crime control strategies.

In this episode, we explore modern extensions of the Rational Actor Model—a group of theories that dominated criminological thinking in the 1970s and 1980s and continue to influence crime policy today.

We break down three major branches:

🔹 Deterrence Theory – emphasizing the certainty, swiftness, and severity of punishment as tools to prevent crime

🔹 Rational Choice Theory – seeing criminal behavior as a calculated decision where individuals weigh risks and rewards

🔹 Routine Activities Theory – arguing that crime happens when three elements align: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and a lack of capable guardianship

We’ll also examine real-world applications like situational crime prevention, and critically assess the limitations of these theories, especially their assumptions about rational decision-making among offenders.

Whether you’re a CSS candidate or a student of criminology, this episode unpacks essential frameworks for understanding crime in everyday environments—and how theory translates into policy.

You're listening to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. This season, we're exploring Roger Hopkins Burke’s ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory.’ In Episode 3, we take a closer look at Populist Conservative Criminology and the emergence of Right Realism — a political and ideological shift that reshaped how crime and justice were approached in the late 20th century."

In Episode 3, we continue our deep dive into the rational actor model with a focus on Populist Conservative Criminology and the rise of Right Realism as outlined by Roger Hopkins Burke.

This episode explores the ideological shift brought by the "new political right" in the 1970s and 1980s in the US and UK. Thinkers like James Q. Wilson advocated for crime control policies based on the belief that criminals choose to commit crime and must be deterred through visible policing and strict punishment.

We’ll examine how this school of thought:

Rejects explanations of crime based on social disadvantage or psychological predisposition

Prioritizes public order and deterrence over rehabilitation

Influenced policies like zero tolerance policing and increased incarceration

We also reflect on the key criticisms of right realism, including its narrow focus on street crime and failure to address deeper socioeconomic causes of criminal behavior.

Perfect for CSS aspirants and students of criminology, this episode connects political ideology with practical policy shifts in the criminal justice system.