Decolonising European Criminology in Higher Education

• In Event: Advances in Teaching Methods 1. Critical and Novel Perspectives

Abstract

This paper analyses the coloniality of Criminology and makes the case for a decolonisation of the discipline in higher education to enhance its transformative potential in the twenty first century. In this paper, I argue that Criminology and criminal justice retain the colonial baggage that was an inspiration for the birth of the discipline, and that this has resulted in a reproduction of its colonial assumptions in higher education and a politicised application and understanding of Criminology and criminal justice in the twenty first century. The paper makes two key contributions. Firstly, it shows how decolonisation can enhance an understanding of criminological theory, criminological research methods, and the criminological study of racism, state crime, and punishment and imprisonment. Secondly, it outlines four learning and teaching enhancements that can emerge from teaching a decolonised Criminology: lifelong learning; global citizenship; internationalization; and inclusive curriculums.

Author

• Fahid Qurashi, University of Salford