Markets, Politics, and Crime in Contemporary China
Putting Criminological Theory to Work
(First Edition)
©2026, 136 pages
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Markets, Politics, and Crime in Contemporary China: Putting Criminological Theory to Work explores the landscape of criminal activity in contemporary China and examines the applicability of Western criminological theories to this cultural landscape. The text examines the nature and spectrum of crime in China, including public perceptions and government responses within the context of China's shift from a planned to a market economy and the consequences of this transformation for social inequality and criminal activity.
Central to the book is its rigorous application of Institutional Anomie Theory (IAT) to the Chinese context, juxtaposed with insights from other criminological theories, including general strain, social disorganization, and routine activities theories. Emphasis is placed on the sociocultural and political influences stemming from economic and political reforms and their bearing on crime. The work also details the evolution of crime control in China, transitioning from grassroots efforts to more modern policing and surveillance technologies.
Markets, Politics, and Crime in Contemporary China is recommended for courses in criminology, criminal justice, political science, political sociology, and comparative politics. It offers a distinct perspective on the interplay of economics, politics, and crime, providing a springboard for engaging discussions on the societal contexts influencing criminal behavior across cultures.
Central to the book is its rigorous application of Institutional Anomie Theory (IAT) to the Chinese context, juxtaposed with insights from other criminological theories, including general strain, social disorganization, and routine activities theories. Emphasis is placed on the sociocultural and political influences stemming from economic and political reforms and their bearing on crime. The work also details the evolution of crime control in China, transitioning from grassroots efforts to more modern policing and surveillance technologies.
Markets, Politics, and Crime in Contemporary China is recommended for courses in criminology, criminal justice, political science, political sociology, and comparative politics. It offers a distinct perspective on the interplay of economics, politics, and crime, providing a springboard for engaging discussions on the societal contexts influencing criminal behavior across cultures.
Yunhan Zhao is an assistant professor at Colorado State University Pueblo. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University at Albany, SUNY, and his research focuses on crime and deviance, social control, correction and rehabilitation, corruption, public health, spatial analysis, and quantitative methods.
Steven F. Messner is a Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus in the Department of Sociology at the University of Albany, SUNY. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Princeton University, and his research focuses on criminology, deviance, macrosociology, social institution and crime, spatial analyses, crime and social control in contemporary China, and community context and criminal offending.
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"This concise and well-written book explores the socioeconomic and political changes in contemporary China, particularly since the onset of reforms in 1978, and examines their impact on crime and crime control. It also critically assesses the relevance of Western criminological theories in the Chinese context. I enthusiastically recommend this book to scholars, students, and professionals interested in Chinese society and crime control."
Shanhe Jiang, Wayne State University
"This book offers a comprehensive yet concise examination of the landscape and historical evolution of crime and crime control in contemporary China. While recent decades have witnessed a notable expansion of criminal justice and criminological research in non-Western societies, including China, few works adopt such a robust historical and institutional perspective. This highly informative and eye-opening volume fills that gap and is a must-read for anyone seeking the “big picture”. Moreover, it provides invaluable insights into the application of Western-rooted theories in non-Western contexts, contributing meaningfully to the global criminological discourse. Scholars and students in criminology, law, criminal justice, sociology, political science, Asian studies, and China studies will find this book essential reading."
Professor Yue Zhuo, St. John's University
"Markets, Politics, and Crime in Contemporary China by Yunhan Zhao and Steven F. Messner is a significant development of macro, historical, and institutional perspectives in criminology. Taking advantage of their deep and valuable personal experiences as well as research literature from the beginning of the opening up and economic reform in China to the current state of society, combined with their strong mastery of criminological theories, they are able to offer an illuminating perspective that addresses both global and local dimensions, as well as proposing future directions for the application of macro theories of sociology and criminology. The organization of the material and the easy-to-understand language make the book a valuable resource for teaching macro perspectives on crime in China. The book applies macro theories excellently to the social change processes wherein unique and special contexts are analyzed in depth, while also highlighting the broad applicability and adjustment needed for these theories under China’s complicated context. It is a valuable resource for both students and scholarly research."
Professor Jianhong Liu, University of Macau
Shanhe Jiang, Wayne State University
"This book offers a comprehensive yet concise examination of the landscape and historical evolution of crime and crime control in contemporary China. While recent decades have witnessed a notable expansion of criminal justice and criminological research in non-Western societies, including China, few works adopt such a robust historical and institutional perspective. This highly informative and eye-opening volume fills that gap and is a must-read for anyone seeking the “big picture”. Moreover, it provides invaluable insights into the application of Western-rooted theories in non-Western contexts, contributing meaningfully to the global criminological discourse. Scholars and students in criminology, law, criminal justice, sociology, political science, Asian studies, and China studies will find this book essential reading."
Professor Yue Zhuo, St. John's University
"Markets, Politics, and Crime in Contemporary China by Yunhan Zhao and Steven F. Messner is a significant development of macro, historical, and institutional perspectives in criminology. Taking advantage of their deep and valuable personal experiences as well as research literature from the beginning of the opening up and economic reform in China to the current state of society, combined with their strong mastery of criminological theories, they are able to offer an illuminating perspective that addresses both global and local dimensions, as well as proposing future directions for the application of macro theories of sociology and criminology. The organization of the material and the easy-to-understand language make the book a valuable resource for teaching macro perspectives on crime in China. The book applies macro theories excellently to the social change processes wherein unique and special contexts are analyzed in depth, while also highlighting the broad applicability and adjustment needed for these theories under China’s complicated context. It is a valuable resource for both students and scholarly research."
Professor Jianhong Liu, University of Macau
