Criminology Qua Criminal Justice as an Open Discipline

On the Relationship between Sociology and Criminology in the USA

Bibliographic Data

ID15316865
AuthorsLiqun Cao (0000-0002-8011-5793, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume31
Issue4
Pages509-522
Publication date2020-09-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Criminal Justice Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1051-1253 • E-ISSN: 1745-9117
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10511253.2020.1807031
OpenAlexW3086076543
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited35

This article takes stock of the criminological progress to become an independent discipline by examining the relationship between sociology and criminology. It proposes a scheme of development of criminology, which divides the history of criminology roughly into three eras. In the first era, sociology provided criminology a home in its infantry where it grew healthily into a dynamic subfield of study. During its second era of the great expansion, criminology and criminal justice diffused rapidly with the pain of identity crisis. This expansion provided new evidence for Kuhn’s thesis that political power, not scientific accuracy – determines the scientific dogma of the day. Finally, in the new millennium, criminologists are at a crossroad: Many believe that criminology has come of age while others maintain that criminology should maintain its bonds with sociology. It is concluded that criminology as an open and evolving discipline need to be inclusive in conducting research

Criminal justice · Criminology · Cultural Criminology · Green criminology · Political science · Sociology · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Law · Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses

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