Edwin H. Sutherland

Edwin H. Sutherland is widely identified as the single most important and influential criminologist of the twentieth century. He is especially well-known for his path-breaking criminology textbook (first published in 1924), his promotion of a sociological (and scientific) approach to the understanding of crime and its control, his theory of differential association, and his work over his final ten years on white-collar crime, a term he is credited with having introduced.

This book explores the contemporary meaning of Edwin Sutherland and considers why criminologists today should continue to engage with his work. What can and should Sutherland mean to future 21st century criminologists, those working in the field say between 2021 and 2050, or some one hundred years after the 1921 to 1950 period that encompassed Sutherland’s criminological career? Which dimensions of Sutherland’s work have best survived the march of time and which are most likely to – and deserve to – survive going forward?

Making the case that Sutherland is important to both mainstream and critical criminologists, to positivistic criminologists and those who study crimes of the powerful, this book is essential reading for both students and scholars interested in exploring the enduring legacy of this key thinker in criminology.