Theoretical Criminology: From Modern to Postmodern

Author: Morrison
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This book is not a traditional textbook. Once written, traditional criminology textbooks often become very dry, composed of a variety of assumptions. Due to the increasing complexity and reflexivity of criminology theories in the 1960s and 1970s, these assumptions have been questioned, and the discipline has lost its unified appearance, 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 also be a theory of social order. This is the second layer of the book. The book places criminology theories within the narrative of the constantly transforming themes of modernity and social structures, reflecting many features of modernity while also attempting to understand them. Professor Wayne Morrison of the University of London, UK, has translated his work "Theorizing Criminology: From Modernity to Postmodernity" (Legal Press) as his second book after "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 era—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 criminology theories, from classical criminology to positivist criminology, from modernity to postmodernity, striving to place criminology theories within a different social and political framework and narrative. Criminology theories have 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 theory maintains logical consistency in its structure, 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 criminology theories from different perspectives, drawing on the strengths of various schools to create a unique criminology 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; it is all around us. Each of us is not just a potential victim of crime but may also be a potential perpetrator. The author not only systematically narrates the development of criminology theories but also points out that a general theory of crime must also 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 aims to help understand the conditions and factors that influence these issues, thereby helping to discover behaviors and lifestyles that foster human interaction and solidarity. In the book, the author describes the Western reality, focusing on the development of women and the lower classes, arguing 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 a policy of tolerance rather than exclusion and suppression. Criminology theories must position themselves as providing materials for general social forms, giving direct attention. Making "theorizing 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 while telling 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 "Theorizing Criminology: From Modernity to Postmodernity" will broaden the horizons of criminology research in China and help elevate the level of criminology research. Author Wayne Morrison is the Director of the External Program at the Faculty of Law, University of London, and an Academic Committee member of the Faculty of Law at Queen Mary University of London. His major works include "Jurisprudence: From Ancient Greece to Postmodernity" and "Criminology, Civilization, and the New World Order."