Southern Criminology Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is Ethnocentrism?
Judging other cultures through the lens of one’s own, often negatively.
e.g Believers vs. heathens, Romans vs. barbarians
What is eurocentrism?
a type of ethnocentrism
where Western Europe and North America project their worldview as universal.
What is colonialism?
where a country establishes and maintains control over an alien people and their resources for an extended period.
entrails subjugating it’s people and removing resources back to the colonial power
Who introduced the concept of Southern Theory?
Raewyn Connell
What does Southern Theory critique?
How sociological concepts from the south are generally not taking very seriously within academia
What does Southern Theory highlight about the Global South?
It has been historically treated as a data mine, while the Global North is associated with generating theory
people from the global north going into the global south researching and taking the knowledge back to elsewhere
What is one of the critiques of established criminological theories?
They were primarily developed in North America and Western Europe.
What is epistemic violence/inequality?
when certain types of knowledge or ways of understanding the world are dismissed or ignored, while others (often from powerful groups) are seen as more valid.
This can harm marginalized groups by making their knowledge seem unimportant or wrong
What does the North/South distinction refer to?
The divide between metropolitan states of Western Europe and North America and the countries of Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
What is decolonization?
the process of revealing and dismantling colonialist power in all its forms, including hidden institutional and cultural forces.
What is Coloniality?
the lasting power structures and inequalities that continue after formal colonialism ends e.g. global racial, ethnic, gender hierarchies
What is the key difference between Colonialism and Coloniality?
Colonialism refers to the historical process of one nation controlling another through violence, while coloniality refers to the ongoing effects and power structures that persist after colonialism has ended.
What are the four main ways coloniality works?
- Control of knowledge (Deciding whose knowledge counts e.g. western ideas);
- Control of identities (Shaping how people see themselves and others );
- Control of the economy (Rich countries still benefit from cheap labour and resources from poorer countries.);
- Control of authority (Governments and institutions often follow systems set up during colonial times).
How does southern criminology critique previous criminology in terms of the enlightenment?
previous criminology was shaped by the enlightenment and colonial ideas that created racial hierarchies and defined non-Western people as “Others” or born criminals
How is Lombroso’s idea of the ‘born criminal’ linked to colonial thinking?
Lombroso’s theories helped justify racial superiority by pathologising colonised peoples as naturally criminal — reinforcing colonial domination
What is meant by the ‘creation of the Other’ in criminology?
It refers to defining non-European people as inferior or dangerous
How does Southern Criminology aim to decolonise criminology?
By challenging Eurocentric bias, including diverse perspectives, and recognising how colonialism shaped law, punishment, and ideas of criminality.
What is Social Darwinism and its implications?
Social Darwinism suggested that certain groups were inferior, justifying imperial domination by portraying Western societies as superior.
Why is the geographic basis of Southern Criminology criticised?
Many of its scholars are based in Australia, which is often considered part of the Global North, raising questions about its authenticity.
How does Southern Criminology risk romanticising the Global South?
By portraying it as morally superior or more authentic without sufficient critique or complexity.
What is a practical limitation of Southern Criminology?
It lacks clear policy relevance and struggles to influence criminal justice systems directly.
