Critical Criminology and Cultural Perspectives
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What is the primary goal of critical criminology?

  • To merely judge existing societal structures
  • To highlight hidden and overlooked injustices (correct)
  • To assess the effectiveness of current crime policies
  • To categorize types of crime based on severity

    • How does critical criminology differ from mainstream criminology?

  • It emphasizes the causes of crime as purely individual choices
  • It seeks to transform societal structures rather than judge them (correct)
  • It focuses solely on crime statistics and data analysis
  • It prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation

    • Which of the following best describes the type of critique employed in critical criminology?

  • Transformative and confrontational (correct)
  • Objective and detached
  • Judgmental and conservative
  • Based solely on empirical data

    • What does critical criminology promise to marginalized individuals?

    <p>Justice and alternative ways of being</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is meant by the term 'destabilizing existing relations' in critical criminology?

    <p>To challenge and reconfigure societal norms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the term 'soft city' refer to in urban contexts?

    <p>The informal and creative activities happening in urban spaces.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does urban planning attempt to influence everyday life?

    <p>Through policing strategies and design of defensive spaces.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key aspect of acts of transgressions and rule breaking?

    <p>They often seek to challenge the legitimacy of existing laws.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What approach does cultural criminology utilize to study crime?

    <p>An ethnographic methodology with an attentive gaze.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does 'dangerous knowledge' refer to in the context of cultural criminology?

    <p>Knowledge that critically questions established understandings, including criminology.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Bourdieu's Field Theory, how are social fields structured?

    <p>They are divided into multiple fields with inherent competition.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does 'habitus' refer to in Bourdieu's Field Theory?

    <p>The predispositions and competencies developed through experiences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key critique of traditional methods in criminology highlighted in cultural criminology?

    <p>They often overlook socio-cultural factors in crime.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect did Taylor, Walton, & Young criticize about conventional criminology?

    <p>Supporting the political and economic status quo</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a primary focus of a 'fully social' criminology as proposed by Taylor, Walton, & Young?

    <p>Structural and political-economic dimensions producing crime</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do Taylor, Walton, & Young view the relationship between crime and the capitalist economic system?

    <p>Crime arises from structural conditions of inequality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What methodological approach do Taylor, Walton, & Young advocate for when analyzing crime?

    <p>Dialectical analysis of social structures</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did R.S. Ratner argue Canadian criminologists were guilty of in 1984?

    <p>Ignoring social structures and failing to challenge state definitions of crime</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What concept do Taylor, Walton, & Young emphasize as motivations for crime?

    <p>Real and relative deprivation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do Taylor, Walton, & Young suggest about the definition of crime?

    <p>It reflects the interests of the powerful and is politically motivated.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which substances do Taylor, Walton, & Young mention as examples of societal tolerance versus criminalization?

    <p>Alcohol and coffee versus cocaine and heroin</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a consequence of actuarial technology in the treatment of offenders?

    <p>It can lead to increased surveillance of certain groups.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Beck's conception of the risk society influence perceptions of social problems?

    <p>Social problems are viewed as risks to be managed, not solved.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What establishes the conditions under which society can return to a state of naked life?

    <p>The sovereign's decisions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Derrida suggest is inherent in the term 'community' as used in the Youth Criminal Justice Act?

    <p>It is fundamentally exclusionary</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does cultural criminology emphasize about the nature of crime?

    <p>Crime is viewed as a culturally negotiated phenomenon.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do risk management strategies play in the criminal justice system?

    <p>They promote individual accountability over collective solutions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Derrida characterize justice in relation to law?

    <p>Justice is an ideal that transcends law</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following motifs reflects the motives behind criminal acts according to Hayward & Young?

    <p>Crime can provide an adrenaline rush to the offender.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What analogy does Derrida use to explain the concept of meaning in language?

    <p>A comet's nucleus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a primary focus of risk-based strategies in relation to offenders?

    <p>Aggregated risk data collection is a key task.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best captures Derrida's view on the common interpretation of justice?

    <p>It is primarily a concept of revenge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How has the concept of risk influenced individual behavior regarding crime prevention?

    <p>Individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for their own protection.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Derrida indicate underlies all language?

    <p>Silent or absent elements</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What criticism is associated with risk-based strategies in crime management?

    <p>They may not consider the context of developed risks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In what way does the concept of 'community' perpetuate social divisions, according to Derrida?

    <p>By enabling class distinctions between groups</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Derrida mean by stating that justice is 'undeconstructable'?

    <p>It cannot be fully understood or defined</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common criticism of contemporary critical criminology regarding its theoretical language?

    <p>It often fetishizes theory and obscures meaning.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does contemporary critical criminology differ from its early form in Canada?

    <p>It increasingly distances itself from political economic approaches.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which aspect of power did Foucault contribute to the understanding of critical criminology?

    <p>Power is both repressive and productive.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of critical criminology, what does the term 'risk society' refer to?

    <p>A society that evaluates risk and harm in criminal justice practices.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of cultural criminology?

    <p>Understanding the cultural production of crime and its interpretations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a significant goal of critical criminology?

    <p>To disrupt and destabilize established assumptions about crime.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What common misconception exists about the role of theory in critical criminology?

    <p>Theory often appears overly complex and detached from action.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the implications of the critiques against critical criminology?

    <p>They suggest a need for more practical applications and clearer language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Contemporary Critical Criminology

    • This chapter discusses critical criminology, which aims to expose inequalities and injustices, not just explain crime.
    • Some schools of criminology focus on reducing crime opportunities rather than understanding its motivations.
    • Critical criminology stands in contrast to this administrative approach.
    • It criticizes current policies and practices, inviting change with promises of a more just outcome.
    • Critical criminology draws attention to hidden injustices and strives to relate these to the study of crime in the real world.
    • It seeks to question existing understandings of crime and society, not just evaluate and manage it.

    Learning Objectives

    • Explains the meaning of "critical" in critical criminology.
    • Highlights the origins of critical criminology in Canada, including the New Criminology and the Human Justice Collective.
    • Summarizes Michel Foucault's concept of power and its significance to critical criminology.
    • Discusses the prevalence of risk and actuarialism in contemporary criminal justice, linking it to the "risk society" concept.
    • Outlines the contributions of cultural criminology to the field.
    • Explains Pierre Bourdieu's field theory and its application to crime, citing Loïc Wacquant's work.
    • Summarizes Giorgio Agamben's concept of the "state of exception" and its relation to sovereignty.
    • Describes Jacques Derrida's deconstruction theory and its use in critical criminology.

    Introduction

    • Some schools of criminology adopt an administrative approach, focusing on minimizing crime opportunities instead of criminal motivations.
    • These approaches often fail to address deep-rooted structural issues or inequalities.
    • Criminal justice institutions may adopt a critique that invites their own destruction while promising more just outcomes.

    Introduction: Critical Criminology

    • Critical criminology draws attention to hidden or overlooked injustices and inequalities.
    • It seeks to understand how these issues relate to the discipline of criminology.
    • The goal is to dismantle societal constructions that hinder human freedoms and choices.
    • It attempts to forge a more equitable and just world free from misery.

    What is Critical about Critical Criminology?

    • Critical criminology aims to fundamentally challenge the system, not just tinker with its parts.
    • It promotes a transformative critique, addressing social inequalities and suffering.
    • The "critical" in critical criminology signifies a commitment to transforming justice, not just judging.
    • Mainstream criminology often focuses on judgment, not change.

    What is Critical about Critical Criminology?

    • Critical criminologists want to move beyond simply assessing existing social structures.
    • They encourage destabilizing existing relations and identifying "other" ways of being in the world.
    • Critical criminology rejects judgments of existing frameworks and instead proposes alternative models.
    • Its purpose isn't to manage marginalized communities but to create a more just world for all.

    Critical Criminology in English Canada

    • Taylor, Walton, and Young's New Criminology (1973) identified starting points for a new approach to criminology.
    • They criticized conventional criminology's support for the political and economic status quo.
    • They also criticized the focus on biological and psychological factors and instead advocated for a "fully social" criminology that considers the wider structural causes of crime
    • The New Criminology advocated for examining issues from a structural and political-economic standpoint.

    Critical Criminology in English Canada

    • Crime is understood within a broader sociocultural framework, encompassing political-economic and structural conditions producing crime.
    • Its focus includes analyzing relations between crime, economic modes of production, and power dynamics.
    • This approach also questions the criminal justice system, including its role in perpetuating inequality.
    • The critique delves into how laws are created and enforced and promotes a dialectical approach to understanding the reciprocal interactions between structure and agency.

    Critical Criminology in English Canada

    • This Canadian approach to critical criminology challenged established criminological traditions.
    • Several scholars expressed that existing criminological theories failed to consider fundamental social structures, challenged prevailing state-defined concepts of crime, and believed the criminal justice systems could be easily adjusted to resolve social issues.
    • A dedicated journal "Crime and Social Justice" showcased Canadian critical criminology.
    • Internal conflicts arose within those promoting critical criminology which influenced the future of the movement.

    Critical Criminology in English Canada

    • Left Realists and Left Idealists emerged: two distinct yet related groups.
    • Left Realists tackled crime with pragmatism, while Left Idealists rooted their approach in abstract principles like Marxist theory.
    • These different perspectives highlight the diverse dimensions within critical criminology.

    Governmentality and Power: Foucault and Criminology

    • Foucault's work emphasizes that power isn't solely repressive but also productive.
    • It shapes individuals through various tactics (discipline, surveillance, governmentality) to become more controllable subjects.

    Foucault

    • Foucault's work on governmentality explores how power creates individuals who are more easily managed.
    • It analyzes how power influences everyday behaviors and social norms.
    • This analysis recognizes power's role in producing and shaping individuals.
    • Power relations affect numerous aspects of human life.

    Foucault

    • Power operates on human behavior in various settings.
    • Discipline, surveillance, and risk assessment are examples.
    • The objective is to mold conduct towards desired outcomes (such as conformity).
    • These methods play a crucial role in managing behaviors.

    Foucault: Governmentality

    • Critical scholars employ Foucault's ideas to understand diverse domains of governance, including state and non-state actors.
    • Various mechanisms extend beyond conventional state structures, influencing social processes and human actions.
    • Examples include how private security companies and immigration policies influence the ways we interact in society.

    Actuarialism, Risk, and the Risk Society

    • Actuarial technology and risk evaluations increasingly shape how offenders are treated.
    • Risk assessment strategies have become commonplace in contemporary criminal justice, with potential negative consequences such as increased surveillance.
    • Risk-based strategies often lack context and can unfairly target certain groups.

    Actuarialism, Risk, and the Risk Society

    • Risk is frequently managed rather than addressed as a societal problem with structural sources.
    • Contemporary criminal justice (CJS) practices often prioritize risk assessment over solving social issues or addressing fundamental problems.
    • The "risk society" framework encourages self-preservation against crime, which may have unintended consequences for marginalized populations.

    Cultural Criminology

    • Culture profoundly shapes how crime is understood and how it's viewed and experienced.
    • The perspectives of the offenders also affect how crime is seen.
    • This cultural approach extends beyond legal interpretations and considers how individuals and groups create meaning from experiences like crime.

    Field Theory of Criminology

    • Bourdieu's field theory, by analyzing the cultural and economic factors shaping crime environments, exposes how those in power wield influence.
    • It considers inequality in power and resource distribution and examines the many aspects of social practice.
    • The theory emphasizes various "fields" in society (e.g., politics, economy) and how players in these domains wield power.

    Field Theory of Criminology

    • The theory illuminates how diverse groups in society possess varied forms of "capital", which determines each group's competitiveness and access to resources.
    • Wacquant's perspective argues that criminalized identities are not inherent but are constructed symbolically, economically, and culturally.
    • Criminology should identify how dominant groups leverage various forms of capital to create and strengthen their power.

    Agamben: Sovereignty and the State of Exception

    • Agamben examines sovereignty's relation to the declaration of emergency laws and conditions.
    • These include how states curtail rights to maintain order during crises or unrest.
    • His perspective reveals that conditions associated with sovereignty can sometimes override legal rights.

    Agamben: Sovereignty and the State of Exception

    • Agamben emphasizes that the ability to suspend rights is inherent to sovereignty.
    • Modern states invoke the "state of exception" often after crises, suspending civil liberties to restore order.
    • This analysis explores how states can invoke exceptional measures that override typical legal processes.

    Derrida: Deconstruction Is Justice

    • Derrida's deconstruction examines how concepts like "community", "safety", and "security" in criminal justice systems are often constructed with hidden elements.
    • Derrida's approach reveals underlying assumptions, contradictions, and possible exclusions hidden within legal and social discourse.
    • Analyzing seemingly straightforward concepts via deconstruction can help to unveil layers of meaning and hidden agendas within policies and practices.

    Derrida: Community and Justice

    • "Community" is often presented as inclusive but may contain implicit exclusions.
    • Inequalities in resources and power contribute to inequality and exclusion when analyzing "community".
    • Analyzing the social justice system using these concepts helps to uncover inherent biases.

    Derrida: Deconstructing Justice

    • Justice is often understood as a fixed concept.
    • Derrida's viewpoint emphasizes that "justice" is an ideal pursuit, not a concrete entity.
    • In social theory, Justice is seen as something in relation to social constructs, not something fixed.

    Criticisms of Contemporary Critical Criminology

    • Some critics argue that critical criminology can be overly abstract and theoretical, lacking clear or effective practical applications.
    • The complex language may obscure meaning and make the theory difficult to grasp.
    • The critique may lack an easily recognizable call to action.

    Summary

    • Critical criminology challenges conventional approaches to crime, advocating for a deeper understanding of social inequalities and power structures.
    • It emphasizes challenges to traditional understandings of concepts like crime and governance itself.
    • Critical criminology actively seeks to uncover and unravel underlying assumptions and possible exclusions lurking in criminal justice.
    • It often uses Foucault's work on power to illuminate how societal structures control individuals.

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    Explore the core concepts and critiques of critical criminology and cultural criminology. This quiz will examine how these theories challenge mainstream criminological approaches and address the needs of marginalized communities. Test your knowledge on key theorists and concepts that shape our understanding of crime in society.

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