Michael R. Gottfredson

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Michael R. Gottfredson

Michael R. Gottfredson (* 1951 ) is an American sociologist and criminologist , the international scientific community through a general theory of crime ( A General Theory of Crime became known), which he shared with 1990 Travis Hirschi published.

Gottfredson graduated from the University of California at Davis with a bachelor's degree and a Ph.D. from Albany University. PhD. From 1985 he taught at the University of Arizona , since 2000 he has been a professor at the University of California at Irvine .

The general theory of crime

A General Theory of Crime is based on the notion of low self-control . People with little self-control are always impulsive, cold-hearted and willing to take risks. In their actions they are oriented towards the immediate satisfaction of needs. Such individuals were prone to risky lifestyles such as heavy smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, illegal gambling, sexual promiscuity, and criminal acts. These traits are stable personality traits.

The theory has been discussed internationally and is now considered refuted because it assumes a continuity of criminal careers that is not confirmed by the more recent developmental criminological research . In addition, their validity is (as for all areas of crime economic crime ) doubts.

Web links

Fonts (selection)

  • With Travis Hirschi : A General Theory of Crime. Stanford University Press, Stanford 1990, ISBN 0804717737 .
  • As editor with Travis Hirschi: The Generality of Deviance. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick 1994, ISBN 156000116X .
  • As editor with Chester L. Britt: Control theories of crime and delinquency. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick 2003, ISBN 0765801809 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael R. Gottfredson, Travis Hirschi: A general theory of crime , Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1990, ISBN 0804717737
  2. ↑ See Michael Bock : Kriminologie. For study and practice , 3rd edition, Munich 2007, p. 46 f.
personal data
SURNAME Gottfredson, Michael R.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American criminologist and sociologist
DATE OF BIRTH 1951