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Criminal Activity And Its Control

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Within the first section of this essay it will explore the ways in which contemporary criminology such as realist and critical challenge popular representations, commonsensical images and explanations of crime and its control.

Contemporary criminology uses scientific methodology, creating research data that looks at the larger issue of crime, being the social construct of ever altering societies and cultures. Contemporary criminology contains a wide range of theoretical approaches from which all take stands against the older theories like Lombroso’s classic theory ‘Born criminals’. As a result criminologists recognises that what is perceived as criminal activity and crime is constantly altering.

“Radical criminology came about in the late 1960’s and originates from a group of sociologists and activists which all shared the same two views: a dissatisfaction with ‘traditional’ or mainstream criminology, and the fact that they were largely influenced by the labelling perspective” (Coleman and Norris, 2000, p.73.) it is from this group that radical criminology was ‘born’. Radical criminology is a textbook example of ever changing criminological theories which indeed challenges popular representations of crime like the media. Radical criminological theories do not conform to a single definition; it originates from a few different criminological theories such as Marxism and feminism. Mclaughlin and Muncie states that “Within the broad classification of ‘radical criminology’

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