Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
Serial murder fascinates, terrifies—and has dominated pop culture for years: Netflix documentaries like Monster: The Ed Gein Story or Dahmer break viewership records, while podcasts and true-crime formats attract millions. But beyond media sensationalism, what lies behind the phenomenon of serial killing? This article offers a criminological-sociological approach to one of the most extreme forms
Ten Blind Spots in Criminological Theory The quest for the “best” theory of crime is as old as the discipline itself. For more than 200 years, scholars have tried to explain why people break the law. But the more theories emerged, the clearer it became: no single theory fully explains crime. Many fall short, focus
Drugs and alcohol are among the most contested topics in criminology. Substances have been consumed by people in all societies and at all times, whether for ritual, medical, or recreational purposes. What distinguishes modern societies is not the existence of substance use but the way it is classified, regulated, and criminalised. Criminology studies drugs and
Sanctions are central to criminology as they represent society’s formal response to crime and deviance. They include a broad range of measures, from fines and community service to imprisonment and the death penalty. Sanctions not only aim to prevent and punish offending but also reflect deeper questions of justice, legitimacy, and social control. This article
Prisons are among the most visible and contested institutions of modern societies. They represent the state’s ultimate power to deprive individuals of liberty, justified in the name of justice, order, and security. Yet the prison is not a timeless or natural institution: it emerged historically under specific social, political, and cultural conditions. In criminology and
Policing does not simply mean the police. While the police are the most visible and influential agents of policing, the term refers more broadly to the diverse practices and institutions through which authority is exercised to maintain security, enforce laws, and regulate everyday life. Social order, in turn, describes the stability of social interactions, guided