Critical Criminology

Question 1

Critical criminology

Answer 1

• Political structures (capitalism, gender roles, racial structure) shape the definitions of crime and deviance
  → crime is not an individual flaw but rather flaws within the social structure of society (issues of social harm and social justice)
• goal is to transform not reform
• focuses on the critical analysis of power structures that construct the meaning of crime
• crime is selective and biased:
  → criminalization (legislation and enforcement) is controlled by the powerful
  → disproportionate criminalization of marginalized/powerless social groups (main targets of the criminal justice system)
• critical of mainstream criminology:
  → analyzing crime-control institutions and the power structure instead of crime itself
  → attempt to humanize the criminal justice system rather than harden it

Question 2

Constitutive criminology

Answer 2

• Crime is not a fixed category but rather a phenomenon dependant on social construction
• study of language:
  → how meaning and responses are influenced by language/vocabulary
  → language shapes reality and contains values/ideas
  → it is possible to decode hidden meanings and implicit (implied) values while communicating
• crime is the exercise of power (imposition of one’s will over others)

Question 3

Humanist criminology

Answer 3

• Goal is to humanize and transform criminal justice institutions
• peacemaking criminology:
  → principles of nonviolence, conflict resolution (mediation and reconciliation), and community building
  → avoidance of hierarchal judgements, punishment, and exclusion
  → offers positive peace; focuses on social problems correlated to crime such as poverty, inequality, racism, mental health stigma etc. (social justice)
• convict criminology:
  → explores the internal side of the criminal justice system (perspective of those who experience it)
  → goal is to expose the problems and violence inmates face
• other approaches:
  → human rights: studying human right issues concerning the CJS
  → restorative justice: promotes restoration through conflict resolution, community building, and the creation of solutions (similar to peacemaking criminology)

Question 4

Green criminology

Answer 4

• Focuses on the study of human action and its ecological and social impacts on the environment
• interconnection between environmental studies and criminal/legal issues (ex. Overexploitation of resources)
• crime as a violation of criminal law and also actions that cause harm to the environment and people