Acid Criminology

• In Event: Theoretical Perspectives in Critical Criminology

Abstract

This study, a forthcoming publication in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Criminology, applies Mark Fisher's concept of "Acid Communism'' into the realm of criminology. This is an experimental theoretical piece that reflects on the significance of ‘acid’ not only in the bio-chemical effects of psychedelics, but as a metaphor representing the role played by the convergence of psychedelia and social movements in engendering the political atmosphere of the counterculture and radical criminology. Acid criminology applies the acid metaphor to ask: How did criminology become radicalized in the 1960s? How were such radical tendencies quashed? And what would it take to reclaim this spirit in criminology today? Furthermore, it seeks to situate acid criminology in relation to today’s psychedelic renaissance, highlighting key distinctions between what psychedelics stood for in the counterculture and how they are now represented. We consider three ‘acid’ features that can be applied to better understand the impact of radical criminology and offer a framework for criminology to reconnect with the potency of social movements and eke out spaces in which alternative ways of thinking about crime become possible: denaturalization, consciousness-raising, and collective mobilization. This research delves into each of these aspects to develop a theoretical outline of acid criminology.

Authors

• Jack Farrell, Simon Fraser University

• Jordi Gonzalez Guzman, UPF Barcelona