Criminal Justice, Sociology of
This article is a revision of the previous edition article by D. Szabo, volume 5, pp. 2954–2958, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Toward a Sociology of Criminological Theory
It is a truism to remind ourselves that scientific theory is a human product subject to many of the same social processes that govern other social acts. Science, however, whether social or natural, pretends to claim a higher mission, a more sophisticated methodology, and more consequential and reliable outcomes than human efforts arising from other spheres. The present paper examines the propagation, ascension, acceptance, and demise of twentieth century criminological theories in the United States. Data from publications in peer reviewed journals over the last 30 years suggest that several non-scientific factors are most influential in determining which theories are tested, cited, and discussed in criminological circles.
A New Criminological Frame of Reference
A study of mythogenes — the motivational structures of experience and longing — and myths, expressions of wishes and and visions at the larger tribal or national scale, lent a new insight to the formation of “micro‐criminology'’ (individuals and groups such as gangs) and the development of “macro‐criminology'’ (at the national level, such as genocide). This paper aims to create a new criminological frame of reference by building upon the theories of Walter Reckless and Claude Levi‐Strauss and using mythological structures to further criminological studies.