An Introduction to Life-Course Criminology

This is an excellent introduction to a topic of central importance for criminologists.  It has the merit of being very clearly written, and the authors cover a wide range of materials – theories and data; European and American research; quantitative and qualitative studies.  Throughout, they provide helpful examples from their work on the Stockholm Life Course Project.  Highly recommended.

-- Sir Anthony Bottoms
‘Written by an emerging scholar in Carlsson and an internationally acclaimed criminologist in Sarnecki, the book is historically rich, theoretically provoking, methodologically sound, and policy relevant. Weaving in their own work with the Stockholm Life Course Project, this book casts a bright light into the futures of life course criminology and deserves to be read’  -- Alex R. Piquero

′The field of life course criminology has clearly come of age. Carlsson and Sarnecki′s important new text is a wise and generative gift for the next generation of life course scholars. The authors clarify and synthesize decades of research on crime and the life course across multiple disciplines, and lay out the challenges still to come. It is a perfect introduction to a fascinating body of work′

-- Shadd Maruna

Carlsson and Sarnecki’s An Introduction to Life Course Criminology captures the excitement of the life course perspective within criminology, a lens and set of preoccupations that have become increasingly central to the field.  This lively and engaging volume will not only give other scholars and students alike a full appreciation of key concepts and historical roots, but open a window on what is at stake theoretically, and how recent research informs contemporary debates.  Illustrations from the authors’ own important longitudinal study are especially useful, as they make tangible sometimes slippery notions (e.g., agency) and complicated pathways (the desistance process).   This would be an ideal text for a class on life course criminology and an excellent supplement for more general courses, and will be an outstanding resource for researchers with interests in this area.  

-- Peggy Gior