Citation

Hudson B. Aust. N. Zeal. J. Criminol. 2000; 33(2): 168-182.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/000486580003300205

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The principal task of criminology is to produce the criminal as object-of-knowledge. Whether the sources of criminality are located in biology, psychology or culture -- as in the various right realisms -- or in the class, racist and sexist structures and values of societies -- as in left realisms and the new criminologies of masculinities -- the offender as object-of-knowledge generally emerges as young, impoverished, often black, usually male, and marginalised. The offender is portrayed as different, as Other. The article points out that "difference" is the central focus of criminology, and also a key motif in "affirmative postmodern" work aimed at reconstruction of theories of justice. Some emergent theories and practices of justice are mentioned, and it is argued that theories and institutions of justice need to bring together acknowledgement of difference, and elaboration and defence of rights.

Language: en