TY - JOUR
T1 - Paradigm Shift or Normal Science? The Future of (Biosocial) Criminology
AU - Rocque, Michael
AU - Posick, Chad
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, © The Author(s) 2017.
PY - 2017/7/1
Y1 - 2017/7/1
N2 - For much of the history of criminology, tension has existed between sociologically oriented and biologically oriented perspectives. In recent years, a new, more nuanced approach has emerged which attempts to take both perspectives seriously and integrate them into a biosocial criminology. Yet, it remains, in large part, a fringe field of study. We argue that this is due, primarily, to critical as well as supportive scholars’ views that the ‘biosocial’ perspective represents a paradigm shift in the field of criminology. In this article, drawing on our work with the late Nicole Rafter, we present a case that rather than a paradigm shift, this biosocial turn simply represents a maturing field. In doing so, we describe the ways in which biosocial criminology examines crime and antisocial behavior as a biological and social phenomenon. At the same time, we also point out some cautions with respect to this body of work. We conclude with a vision of the future of (biosocial) criminology.
AB - For much of the history of criminology, tension has existed between sociologically oriented and biologically oriented perspectives. In recent years, a new, more nuanced approach has emerged which attempts to take both perspectives seriously and integrate them into a biosocial criminology. Yet, it remains, in large part, a fringe field of study. We argue that this is due, primarily, to critical as well as supportive scholars’ views that the ‘biosocial’ perspective represents a paradigm shift in the field of criminology. In this article, drawing on our work with the late Nicole Rafter, we present a case that rather than a paradigm shift, this biosocial turn simply represents a maturing field. In doing so, we describe the ways in which biosocial criminology examines crime and antisocial behavior as a biological and social phenomenon. At the same time, we also point out some cautions with respect to this body of work. We conclude with a vision of the future of (biosocial) criminology.
KW - Biocriminology
KW - Biosocial criminology
KW - Nicole H. Rafter
KW - Paradigm shift
KW - Sociological criminology
UR - https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/crimjust-criminology-facpubs/140
UR - http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1362480617707949
U2 - 10.1177/1362480617707949
DO - 10.1177/1362480617707949
M3 - Article
SN - 1362-4806
VL - 21
JO - Theoretical Criminology
JF - Theoretical Criminology
ER -