Criminological Theorists and Social Scientists

The academics and social scientists whose published theories, from the eighteenth century Classical School through contemporary developmental and critical criminology, built the discipline this atlas's own Criminology Theories and Schools section documents, including Cesare Beccaria, Cesare Lombroso, Emile Durkheim, Edwin Sutherland, Robert K. Merton, Travis Hirschi, Ronald L. Akers and the routine activity theorists Lawrence E. Cohen and Marcus Felson. Belongs here: any person whose primary documented contribution to this atlas is a criminological or sociological theory, framework or body of published research. Does not belong here: forensic scientists whose primary contribution is a laboratory or investigative technique, grouped under Forensic Science Pioneers, or working police, prosecutorial and federal officials whose primary role was operational rather than academic, grouped under Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Officials. This grouping is a browsing convenience organized around each person's primary documented professional role and is not a ranking or a complete account of a career; several people placed here also held other roles (Beccaria was also a jurist and public official), and the placement reflects where their most significant documented contribution to criminology actually sits.