Introduction into Criminology for Social
Science Students
Summary of:
Criminology, a contemporary introduction – Tony Murphy
second edition (2022)
1
,Index
Lecture 1 - Introduction: What is criminology, what is crime and who is the criminal?..........................3
Chapter 1 (introducing criminology)...................................................................................................3
Chapter 2 (Theory and its uses)..........................................................................................................3
Chapter 5 (counting crime).................................................................................................................4
Lecture 2 - Assumptions, biases and realities: Theoretical and methodological tenets of Criminology..5
Chapter 3 (Theory: the cause of crime)..............................................................................................5
Chapter 4 (criminological research)....................................................................................................7
Lecture 3 - Philosophies of punishment.................................................................................................8
Chapter 9 (punishment)......................................................................................................................8
Lecture 4 - Culture of fear: Crime in the era of media..........................................................................10
Chapter 6 (politics of law and order)................................................................................................10
Chapter 8 (media and crime)............................................................................................................10
Lecture 5 - Crimes of the powerful.......................................................................................................12
Chapter 11 (global justice)................................................................................................................12
Chapter 12 (harm-based approach)..................................................................................................14
Lecture 6 - Villains vs. Victims: Mobility, gender and the stigmatization of ‘Others’.............................14
Chapter 7 (victims and offenders).....................................................................................................14
Chapter 10 (social policy of crime)...................................................................................................16
2
, Lecture 1 - Introduction: What is criminology, what is crime and
who is the criminal?
Chapter 1 (introducing criminology)
Criminology: the study of crime, justice and law and order issues, and the broader dynamics of
societies in terms of informing how those things exist and are experienced. Social, political, cultural,
and economical climate play a part, as well as processes like globalisation, technological progress etc.
Criminology is:
Interdisciplinary
An object science
Originally an applied science (governmental concerns)
A good criminologist needs to
Be a critical enquirer. Gaps? Alternative explanations? Who defines/describes crime? Who
lacks a voice?
Be reflective. how am I biased? What group(s) do I belong to? Prejudice?
Be pragmatic. Thorough, digitally competent, appropriate materials.
Frank Furedi: curiosity, openness, ask, criticize, don’t succumb to academic cynicism!
Origins
Classical criminologist (18th century): crime is result of free will and cost benefit analysis
(Beccaria, Bentham)
First criminologists (19th century): positivists. Researching what factors explain crime and/or
what makes a criminal and a regular civilian? Criminal seen as ‘different’.
20th century: different fields (criminography (measuring), aetiology (cause of crime), response
to crime (prevention, penology), victimology. Focus on criminal justice inequalities.
What is crime?
Legal definition: act in violation against some sort of law (criminal, international etc.)
Sociological definition: Sellin wanted a scientific definition. Searched for universalities in
norms and rule transgression (what things do societies generally believe to be wrong?) Sees
crime as a sociological problem. ‘Deviant behaviour’ topic of study.
- Social constructivist looks at why social norms exist and why they are there.
Harm based approach: anything that causes harm is criminal. Thinks crime is a legal construct
an anthropocentric (to focused on humans, doe does not take into account crimes against
animals, planet etc.)
Human rights definition: non respect of these rights is crime. Nowadays: social justice.
Politically loaden definition, recognizes discrimination and crimes of the powerful.
Crime must be fluid because laws change. Who makes these laws? Are some needless? Who is
affected? Some things are needlessly criminalized (homosexuality does no harm, still
punishable in some counties), some damaging behaviours are not criminal.
Crime is situational: dependent on your position and context.
Chapter 2 (Theory and its uses)
Theory: an explanation, model, or framework for understanding particular events or processes. Ex.
Policy makers are interested in theories to create law, strategies etc.
Theories as a heuristic tool to understand crime, criminals etc. Different viewpoint, accepting one
theory does not equal rejecting the rest.
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