Social theory

In China and Post-Socialist Development the emergence of China as an economic superpower is examined and framed within the context of the East Asian developmental miracle, arguing that China’s approach – broadly in opposition to the neo-liberal doctrine – has brought impressive results.

In this ambitious, wide-ranging book, the author asks what it takes to create inclusive, cohesive societies, and formulates a vision for social justice as 'inclusive equality'.

This is the first detailed criminological account of the role of blame in which the authors present a novel study of the legal process of blame attribution, set in the context of criminalisation as a social and political process. It will also be of wider interest to anyone wishing to discover the role of blame in modern society.

This book is the first to theorise and define the social harm concept beyond criminology and seeks to address these omissions and in doing so provide a platform for future debates, in this series and beyond.

As time banking has received increased attention from policy makers as a means for promoting welfare reform in the wake of austerity, this book is the first to look at the concept of time within social policy to examine time banking theory and practice.

This unique book offers a timely analysis of the impact of rapidly advancing knowledge about the brain, mind and behaviour on contemporary public policy and practice. It analyses the global spread of research agendas, policy experiments and everyday practice informed by ‘brain culture’.

This book explores how institutions such as the family, economy and religion shaped the environment and social integration of 19th century serial killer Mary Ann Cotton. It will equip criminologists with a methodological toolkit for performing institutional analysis.

The novel theoretical framework offered in this book presents a radical reconception of the place of knowledge in contemporary policy making in Europe.

This book situates the social construction of crime and criminal behaviour within the philosophical context of phenomenology and explores how these constructions inform, and justify, the policies employed to address them. It is essential reading for academics and students interested in social theory and theories of criminology.

Spanning religion, moral philosophy and scientific understanding of the human conditions, this unique book adds to the latest thinking on morality, proposing ways to enhance the capacity of public policy to respond to morality and associated shifts in social mores in different cultural settings.

This is the first book to explore coercion as a pathway into crime for co-offending women. It analyses four cases of women co-accused of a crime with their partner who suggested that coercive techniques had influenced their involvement and concludes by exploring the implications for public understanding of coercion and female offending.

This accessible book is structured around six philosophical ideas concerning our relations with others: values, morality, aesthetics, order, rules and respect. Using examples from a range of countries, it provides a platform for engaging with important topical issues.