Postmodernism and crime

Question 1

Postmodernism

Answer 1

Society changes rapidly, marked by uncertainty, risk and diversity.

Question 2

Explaining crime

Answer 2

Explore ways in which postmodern society has led to the emergence of certain new forms of crime and new responses to crime. Today is fragmented, increasing individualism, diversity and why people commit crime. They argue that many laws are outdated..

Question 3

Rethinking crime prevention and punishment

Answer 3

Henry and Milovanovic - Suggests the concept of crime should be replaced with the concept of ‘social harm’. Such as harms of reduction and harms of repression.

Question 4

Reducing crime and social harm

Answer 4

Postmodernists suggest that the way to reduce crime or social harm in society today is to have a number of strategies in place.

Question 5

Evaluation of postmodernism: Positive

Answer 5

Provides an explanation of crime which shows how definitions of legally defined crime are narrow.

Question 6

Evaluation of postmodernism: Negative

Answer 6

Do not address the major cause of a lot of crimes which lie in structural inequalities. They do not offer any suggestion about how social harm might be operationalised.

Question 7

View on crime control and prevention

Answer 7

Fragmentation of society has been reflected in a similar fragmentation of formally organised crime prevention.