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The Comparative Method In Globalised Criminology
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to study
The context and
history of comparative criminology Comparative criminology is as old as
criminology itself. Beccaria, Bentham, Voltaire, Helvetius, Quetelet,
and many others of the 18th-century Enlightenment compared and
contrasted their own systems of justice with those of other nations.
Their recommendations and findings were often influential in bringing
about change in countries other than their own. Indeed, the U.S.
Constitution owes some of its language and ideas to the writings of
these thinkers (see Granucci 1969; Schwartz 1971). Yet, for most of the
19th century and much of the 20th century, comparative criminology was
neglected as nations looked inward for solutions to their specific crime
problems. It was not until the middle and late decades of the 20th
century that interest again emerged in comparing and contrasting the
problems of crime across nations. There are many reasons for this
renewed interest. The most obvious is that the latter half of the 20th
century saw the world become a smaller place, a transformation initiated
by revolutions in communication, transportation, and information
technology. At the close of the 20th century, nations are increasingly
pressured to account for their actions, and the activities of nations
are transparent as never before.
One can reasonably argue that
transparency began in economic institutions, where trade and commerce
demanded it. But the availability of information about various facets of
national social life has flourished as well, some have argued, because
of an abiding concern with the health of democracy. Kenneth Prewitt,
current Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, has suggested, “A healthy
democracy needs a healthy number system, and anything that erodes that
number system undermines democracy†(American Sociological Association
1999, 3). Gradually, countries have collected and made available to the
international community statistics on a wide range of subjects relevant
to the interests of comparative criminologists (see, for example, United
Nations Development Programme 1998). Among these data are statistics on
crime and criminal justice, which have only recently become widely
accessible at the international level (Newman 1999). Although nations
formerly guarded information on crime and criminal justice zealously,
many nations now provide these data on the Internet, where they are
available to anyone with adequate technological resources. The
transparency and availability of such information have created a climate
in which the promises of comparative criminological research may be
realistically pursued.
Although many theoretical, methodological, and
philosophical problems certainly have dogged comparative criminology
since its inception, there is little doubt that this field of
investigation is currently in a state of rapid expansion. While this
chapter outlines some of the main problems that confront comparative
criminology, the discussion also focuses on what cross-national research
has accomplished and what it can do for the field of criminology in the
future. We begin with two questions often asked of comparative
criminology: What is the comparative perspective, and why employ it?
Following this discussion, we move to a consideration of the substantive
and theoretical issues that lie at the root of comparative
criminological inquiry. We must begin with theory, because the plethora
of databases and other information now available from many countries
provides an environment that tempts rash comparisons and sometimes
unsubstantiated conclusions based on what may be incomparable data.
Faced with such a challenge, theoretically informed research supported
by sound methodology is the wisest defense. Consequently, we look at the
theoretical perspectives that have been brought to bear in
understanding crime from a comparative perspective. Following this, we
consider crime as a dependent variable in comparative work, then stake
out the methodological approaches that are often used in this type of
investigation. We then consider the data available to researchers
interested in pursuing comparative studies and conclude with some
observations about the future of comparative research in criminology.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]The aim of this article is consider the current constitution, and likely future prospects, of the field of criminology, and to examine in particular how it might be becoming more global in nature. The term ‘criminology’ will be used broadly, referring to the academic field as a whole, and hence including the study of the causes of crime, responses to crime including criminal justice, as well as to the field’s many sub-disciplines. The article begins by considering internation ... Continue reading---
