Task 1 – How would you define criminology? (418 words)
Criminology lives as discipline that many people relate to differently, depending on their academic interests, background and exposure to the topic. For me personally it is useful to acknowledge this in order to develop a deeper understanding of the subject and my charity’s work. Therefore, I believe that the overarching definition of criminology would need to fulfill all the criteria of what we would require an effective theory to embrace, whilst also allowing me to relate to it as a tool that clearly identifies the remit of criminology.
Criteria, such as concrete, evidence-based, quantitative or qualitative and scientifically-rooted, are fundamental to the subject of criminology. ‘The basic idea of science is to establish a method of knowing things that is independent of people’s opinions about them.’ This avoids overgeneralisation and prevents a theory from becoming so abstract that it detaches itself and no longer defines the topic summarised under its umbrella. As a result the theory can become a source of guidance and a framework that clearly includes themes, whilst also representing a boundary that differentiates what lies within from the rest that remains outside its remit.
With regard to criminology what lies within includes an agreed methodology to conduct research in order to analyse an observation. What is important is that a theory remains empirically testable and that the evidence gathered supports the theory itself. In addition to this criminology also focuses on the topic of crime and a range of human behaviours and relationships between various entities of society. What is considered to be an act of crime is normally defined by a person in power. Therefore the subject or object of investigation by the study of criminology includes the psychological assessment of a human being and the