Criminological and Criminal Justice Theories: Universal or Contextual?

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Criminological and criminal justice theories are grounded in societal context. These theories have their origins and have been developed primarily in Western societies, societies which are characterized by individualism, advanced industrialization and capitalism, and the rule of law supported by bureaucracy. Many non-Western societies were more or less colonized and influenced by the West in culture, political systems, patterns of industrialization, and legal systems. Consequently, they are Westernized to some degree while keeping their own cultures and traditions. Thus, they exhibit both similarities and differences with respect to Western societies. To develop theories in criminology and criminal justice, it is useful both to apply theories that originated in the West to various non-Western societies testing their generalizability but also to create new theories that reflect the non-Western societal context. This thematic panel seeks to evaluate the applicability of Western-developed theories in explaining crime within Asian contexts, while also examining the evolution and development of semiformal social control and the trinary social control theory in China

Sub Unit

• Area IX. Comparative & Historical Perspectives:  / 68. Cross-National Comparison of Crime & Justice

Individual Presentations

• Theoretical Foundations of Crime in Asia: A Content Analysis of Empirical Studies - Bitna Kim, Sam Houston State University; Gibbeum Hong, Sam Houston State University

• The Generality of Hirschi’s Control Theories in South Korea: A Quantitative Synthesis of Empirical Studies - Heejin Lee, Sam Houston State University; Francis T. Cullen, University of Cincinnati; Damon M. Petrich, Loyola University Chicago

• Semiformal control and trinary control system in China - Shanhe Jiang, Wayne State University; Dawei Zhang, Central China Normal University; Xin Jiang, Tulane University

Chair

• Steven F. Messner, University at Albany, SUNY

Discussant

• Jianhong Liu, Macau University of Science and Technology

Organized by a Division or external group?

DIC and ACCCJ