2. What three eras have characterized the field of criminology over the past 100 years? Describe each. What is the most recent, or fourth era?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

John Laub identified three eras that he says have characterized the field of criminology over the past 100 years. The first was the "Golden Age of Research," which covered the years 1900-1930. This period was a time when data on crime and criminal behavior were generally gathered and evaluated independent of any particular ideational framework.
The second era, the "Golden Age of Theory," ran from 1930-1960. This was a time when intellectual theorizing predominated, although there was no real systematic attempt to link research to theory.
During the third era, which ran from 1960-2000, the theories that had been advanced in the past were subjected to scientific examination and testing.
The fourth (or current) era, 21st-century criminology, is described by Laub as the heir to the earlier eras and contains "all possible offspring" of what came before.