Theoretical Criminology -- From Modern to Postmodern

Author: (British) Morrison / Liu Renwen et al
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: This book is not a traditional textbook. Traditional criminology textbooks, once written, often become very dull, composed of a variety of assumptions. Due to the increasing complexity and reflexivity of criminological theory in the 1960s and 1970s, these assumptions have been questioned, and the discipline has lost its appearance of coherence, splitting into a series of different perspectives. This book can be seen as a long response to this. Self-control is indeed a core issue, but the situation is much more complex than what Gottfredson and Hirschi envisioned. To illustrate this point, the book accepts their immature premise that any theory of crime must necessarily be a theory of social order. This is the second layer of the book. The book places criminological theory within the narrative of the ever-changing themes of modernity and social structures, reflecting many features of modernity and attempting to understand them. Professor Wayne Morrison of the University of London's Department of Law, "Theoretical Criminology: From Modernity to Postmodernity" (Law Press), is the second work translated into Chinese after his "Jurisprudence: From Ancient Greece to Postmodernity." The book traces the theoretical development of criminology from modernity to postmodernity. The author begins by describing the mood of the times—confusion, self-doubt, and contradiction—presenting the background of the book. Then, using the central themes of the rise of modernity, the author narrates the development of criminological theory, from classical criminology to empirical criminology, from modernity to postmodernity, striving to place criminological theory within a different social and political framework and narrative. Criminological theory has become highly complex since the 1960s and 1970s, giving rise to various theories such as differential association theory, social control theory, labeling theory, psychoanalytic theory, existential theory, and left-wing idealism, etc. Each theoretical structure maintains logical consistency, making it very difficult to integrate these theories and establish an independent general theory, as each has its own worldview. The author is well-versed in research methods and academic achievements from disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, law, biology, and psychology, examining criminological theory from different perspectives, drawing on the strengths of various schools to create a unique criminological theory—searching for the processes of crime in modernity and postmodernity based on existentialism. The author frankly acknowledges that his theory itself has many problems (e.g., where exactly are the time limits and boundaries of modernity? Can postmodernism truly represent an era of change?), and it is just one of many perspectives, yet to be refined. Criminology is an ancient discipline, but crime is not far from us; crime is around us, and each of us is not just a potential victim of crime but may even be a potential perpetrator. The author not only systematically narrates the development of criminological theory but also points out that a general theory of crime must be a general theory of social order. Crime is the exercise of power and control by individuals who lack productive capital (economic capital, political capital, cultural capital) in the modern life system, especially when they clearly lack power and control. Criminology must help understand the conditions and factors that influence these issues, thereby helping to discover behaviors and lifestyles that develop and strengthen human interaction and solidarity. In the book, the author describes the reality of the West, focusing on the development of women and the lower classes, and argues that the good economic conditions and symbolic value of a just society in the urban civil society under modernity depend on its stability, which requires us to adopt a tolerant policy rather than exclusion and suppression policies. Criminological theory must position itself as providing materials for general social forms, giving direct attention. Making "theoretical criminology" also a "real criminology." This is the academic value of the book. Professor Morrison's work shows us the cutting-edge academic achievements of Western criminology and tells Chinese readers that criminology is not just theoretical academic debate but should also have profound real-world concerns. It is believed that the translation of "Theoretical Criminology: From Modernity to Postmodernity" will broaden the horizons of criminological research in our country and help elevate the level of criminological research. Author Wayne Morrison is the Director of the External Program in Law at the University of London and an Academic Committee member of the Faculty of Law at Queen Mary University of London. His main works include "Jurisprudence: From Ancient Greece to Postmodernity" and "Criminology, Civilization, and the New World Order."