Critical Analysis of an Introduction to Theory

This blog entry is a student's discussion on the first chapter of a book discussing criminological theory.

The student was given the task of answering the following questions:
   1. What is a theory?
   2. Did your understanding of theories change after reading this? How So?
   3. Was the piece well constructed?
        -if not well constructed, how could it be improved?

Critical Analysis of Introduction to Theory

           The “Introduction to Theory” was well constructed and a very interesting read in itself. Not only was it very informative, but it was also written in such a way as to make it understandable to a person with little to no previous knowledge of sociological theory. My personal belief as to what a theory was did change after reading this. Previously, my understanding of a theory only fit the mathematical world and the world of hard sciences. Through reading this article, however, my understanding of a theory has become more than just a scientifically tested hypothesis that was developed by a man in a lab coat far away. In fact, my idea of a theory has now broadened, and I have a much clearer understanding of its different forms. It is because of this that I do not believe that I nearly have enough knowledge to know if any changes should be made to “Introduction to Theory”.

           The definition and purpose of a theory has not been boxed up and neatly written down somewhere for everyone to refer to. There is a whole domain of theories and how they work. Every classification of theory, whether for sociological, criminological, or other purposes is a unique tool to that study. Theories can be concrete like Unit Theories or more abstract and untestable like Metatheories. They can be brought about by observations of day-to-day life or the result scientific, systematic observation. It was definitely interesting to have pointed out the fact that scientists do not like to say that anything is entirely “proven”, even after thousands of tests. Many people believe that for something to be considered a theory it has to have been proven; while scientists will handle everything in terms of probability. This seems to be a critical point in criminological theory due to the almost infinite number of variables that have an effect on why people commit crimes. That does not mean, however, that just any untested or unsupported idea can be passed as a theory. In fact, one of the most important components in bringing about a reliable theory is how well we can gather evidence and experiment with the theory, making sure that the theory is “logically constructed,” “based on the evidence at hand, and is supported by subsequent research.”

            Even after a theory has been created, it still has a lot of work to be done. It needs to be classified as either a macrotheory or microtheory and given some context in which it can be used. The definition of a good theory as stated in the reading is one that “can be tested and that best fits the evidence of research.” In addition to that definition, I learned that in assessing a theory there are quantitative and qualitative methods of validation. This is important because simply having a theory is not the last step in the process; it has to have research done on it before it can become a policy. The reading points out that having a theory is just the starting point in improving the criminal justice system. It is only after there has been proper refinement and redirection that a theory can finally become a policy.

            This piece was expertly woven together, taking the reader on a trip of first learning what a basic theory is and how it is useful in everyday life and then progressing from there. It is perfect for helping the average college student gain a firm understanding of not only the importance of theories, but also the application of theories in the real world. After reading “Introduction to Theory”, not only will the readers know what a theory is, but they should also know what makes a theory good, what the relationship is between a theory and policy, and many of the different classifications of a theory. Overall, this was a great window into the world of criminology and how sociological theories play a key part in keeping that world together and orderly.