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CRJS 4467CRJS 4467Contemporary Research & TheoryContemporary Research & Theory

Lecture #1 - IntroductionLecture #1 - Introduction

1. 1. Course Administration

• course outlinescourse outlines• course textbookscourse textbooks

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1. Course Administration (cont’d)

• class schedule class schedule • questions?questions?

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2. 2. Criminology & Criminal Justice in CanadaCriminology & Criminal Justice in Canada

• pre-1960: nothing really that is distinctly pre-1960: nothing really that is distinctly Canadian - British, U.S. influenceCanadian - British, U.S. influence• post-1960:post-1960: influence of the Oimet Committeeinfluence of the Oimet Committee developments at U of M and U of Tdevelopments at U of M and U of T government fundinggovernment funding relationship between academia, publicrelationship between academia, public service, elected governmentservice, elected government federal Ministry of the Solicitor Generalfederal Ministry of the Solicitor General Law Reform Commission Law Reform Commission

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• post 1984: post 1984: the ‘new public management model’ - the ‘new public management model’ - government downsizinggovernment downsizing restructuring of government departments,restructuring of government departments, cut-backs in research funding, research cut-backs in research funding, research departmentsdepartments restrictions, re-orientation of funding in restrictions, re-orientation of funding in terms of ‘core business’ functions (e.g. terms of ‘core business’ functions (e.g. corrections and rehab programs)corrections and rehab programs) decrease in the amount of ‘basic’ or ‘pure’decrease in the amount of ‘basic’ or ‘pure’ criminological research (e.g. MCS criminological research (e.g. MCS Research Committee)Research Committee) gov’t gov’t accountabilityaccountability!!!!!!!!

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• program and policy evaluation - maximizingprogram and policy evaluation - maximizing effectiveness and efficiencyeffectiveness and efficiency• changing management recruitment, practiceschanging management recruitment, practices• focus on “strategic issues’, short-term, long-termfocus on “strategic issues’, short-term, long-term prioritiespriorities• fusing of research, policy, management functionsfusing of research, policy, management functions• a thriving discipline still, but not without its a thriving discipline still, but not without its problems, in the clash between critical, academicproblems, in the clash between critical, academic criminology, and policy-driven, applied criminalcriminology, and policy-driven, applied criminal justice studiesjustice studies• the need to re-define the direction of criminologythe need to re-define the direction of criminology

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• today, four main academic centres of today, four main academic centres of criminological research activity:criminological research activity: MontrealMontreal OttawaOttawa TorontoToronto Simon FraserSimon Fraser

• multidisciplinary - psychology, sociology, law,multidisciplinary - psychology, sociology, law, history, women’s studies, natural sciences, history, women’s studies, natural sciences, anthropology, political science, computinganthropology, political science, computing• increasing representation of women, minorities,increasing representation of women, minorities, First NationsFirst Nations• critical criminology orientationcritical criminology orientation

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• Foucault - criminology as Foucault - criminology as “a repressive“a repressive penal enterprise aimed at subjugating throughpenal enterprise aimed at subjugating through science the human will to innovate and resist”science the human will to innovate and resist”

• the political context of criminology and criminal the political context of criminology and criminal justice - e.g. boot camps, front-line policing,justice - e.g. boot camps, front-line policing, young offenders, First Nations’ protest actions,young offenders, First Nations’ protest actions, intermediate sanctions, capital punishment,intermediate sanctions, capital punishment, restorative justice, electronic monitoring, restorative justice, electronic monitoring, auto-theft, and crowd controlauto-theft, and crowd control

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3. 3. J.P. Brodeur - ‘Disenchanted criminology’J.P. Brodeur - ‘Disenchanted criminology’

• criminology is an applied scientific discipline criminology is an applied scientific discipline • three features:three features:

1. aims to produce knowledge1. aims to produce knowledge2. the knowledge produced is intended to 2. the knowledge produced is intended to change the social environment through itschange the social environment through its applicationapplication3. criminology is dependent on funding if it 3. criminology is dependent on funding if it is to survive as an institutionis to survive as an institution

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• crime “myths” - the role of criminology in crime “myths” - the role of criminology in producing knowledge, rather than validatingproducing knowledge, rather than validating common sense “myth” (e.g. crime rates and common sense “myth” (e.g. crime rates and policing)policing)• traditionally, the major applied role of traditionally, the major applied role of criminology - informing policy-makingcriminology - informing policy-making• Brodeur - the new policy-making - substitutingBrodeur - the new policy-making - substituting research for knowledge?research for knowledge?• the resurgence of program and policy evaluationthe resurgence of program and policy evaluation• bad research = bad intelligence = bad policy = bad research = bad intelligence = bad policy = public discontentpublic discontent• the need for applied criminal justice personnel - the need for applied criminal justice personnel - the issue of ‘relevance’the issue of ‘relevance’

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criminology as an interdisciplinary science?criminology as an interdisciplinary science?

• criminal justice as the study of the courts,criminal justice as the study of the courts, police, corrections – dominated by 18police, corrections – dominated by 18 thth century view of ‘political man’century view of ‘political man’

• criminology dominated by 19criminology dominated by 19 thth century view century view of ‘psychosocial nature of man’of ‘psychosocial nature of man’

• or, classical versus positivist viewsor, classical versus positivist views

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• a new model? bio-social criminology?a new model? bio-social criminology?

• focus on preventionfocus on prevention• focus on physical environmentfocus on physical environment• focus on biosocial model of learningfocus on biosocial model of learning• private treatment model? private treatment model?

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