The first section defines crime and its measurement, describing both official and unofficial sources of crime data and emphasizing the inherent biases in the way that all data are conceived and constructed. The second section presents a sociological typology of crime and discusses the nature, extent, types, and costs of crime not only in the street but also in the family, the workplace, and society. The third section uses a chronological approach to examine modern criminological theories in terms of their origins, relationships to other theories, criticisms, and contributions to current understanding of crime. The final section examines the relationship between crime and structured social inequality in the United States and other countries. Laws, police practices, and correctional policies are also explored with respect to their effects on the links between crime and structured social inequality. Figures, tables, photographs, chapter summaries and discussion questions, lists of credits and recommended readings, subject and author indexes, and approximately 1,000 references (Author summary modified)