Explanation
Critical criminology is a theoretical perspective that analyzes crime and criminal justice by foregrounding issues of power, inequality, and social conflict. It challenges traditional, state-centered definitions of crime and punishment by asking who defines crime, who benefits from existing laws, and whose interests are served by the criminal justice system.
Emerging in the 1960s and 1970s as a response to mainstream positivist criminology, critical criminology draws on Marxist theory, feminist theory, critical race theory, and other approaches to examine how structural inequalities shape both offending and criminalization. It critiques mass incarceration, policing practices, and punitive policies, advocating instead for social change, decarceration, and addressing root causes of harm such as poverty and discrimination.
Theoretical Reference
Critical criminology builds on traditions such as Marxist criminology, labeling theory, feminist criminology, and critical race theory. Scholars argue that crime cannot be understood outside its social, economic, and political context. Influential figures include Jock Young, Stanley Cohen, and Richard Quinney. Critical criminology also intersects with abolitionist movements, restorative justice, and transformative justice as alternative responses to harm that seek to challenge systemic inequality.