Postmodernist Theories of C&D

Question 1

Dialectic principle

Answer 1

• We can find ‘truth’ about something by gathering experts and getting them to argue their points
• Winning points from each are likely to combine to form truth
• Foucault - ‘Archaeology of Knowledge’

Question 2

Postmodernist view on use of science

Answer 2

• Do not believe in science or its methods
• Reject data, objective evidence, and generalisation
• Evidence can include ‘lived experience’ and people’s self-reported reactions if they are persuasive

Question 3

Dialectic Materialism

Answer 3

We can use concrete observation of events and structural phenomena to discuss and argue about society (eg. trad. marxism)

Question 4

Dialectic Idealism

Answer 4

• Structures are irrelevant - reflect social constructions and the value consensus
• We can only meaningfully argue about ideas and individual experiences (eg. 3rd wave feminism)

Question 5

Postmodernist view on C&D

Answer 5

• Tend to take dialectic idealist approach - destroy meta-narratives
• Inequality and exploitation through uneven power dynamics responsible for society’s problems

Question 6

Henry & Milanovic (1996): Transgressive Criminology

Answer 6

• All about harms that crime causes and is caused by
• We feel harmed, so we lash out, harming others
• Harms of REDUCTION or REPRESSION

Question 7

Henry & Milanovic (1996): Harms of Reduction

Answer 7

Using your power to cause immediate harm to a victim (eg. Harvey Weinstein)

Question 8

Henry & Milanovic (1996): Harms of Repression

Answer 8

Using your power to restric or disrupt others’ progress (eg. hate crimes)

Question 9

Katz (1988): Argument against Structuralism

Answer 9

• Crime can’t be studied by looking at social trends
• Modern global society - no structure, everything constantly changing - by the time you understand it, it’s changed
• We can only look at individuals

Question 10

Lyng (2005): Edgework

Answer 10

• Crime is seductive/exciting - criminals do it for thrills
• Want to be seen as ‘living on the edge’
• Making a career out of it is when it becomes a problem

Question 11

Positives

Answer 11

• Fuller picture of crime - ‘harms’ more encompassing than legal definition
• Explains non-utilitarian crims
• Explains growing localisms of policing strategies
• Recognises non-structural criminal dimensions
• Can explain developments such as surveillance tech

Question 12

Negatives

Answer 12

• Lea: PM is repackaging of labelling
• Doesn’t explain why most with power don’t harm
• Doesn’t explain harms to affirm identity
• Decentralisation of policing benefits MC
• Doesn’t recognise status frustration possiblity
• Ignores justive and citizen rights for all
• Ignores people’s strong moral ideas that underpin law
• Impractical/unpopular to implement justice from subjective claims of victimisation