What is Criminology? - Tapa dura

... an undoubted success - and will, I am certain, stimulate further debate and reflection in moving towards a range of criminological futures. (Alistair Fraser, Asian Criminology)

In response to the question posed in the title, the contributors offer a wide variety of answers, of visions and conceptions of criminology, of ways of doing criminology and of ways of mapping its field of inquiry. (Russell Hogg, British Journal of Criminology)

Over 36 chapters Bosworth and Hoyle's collection provides unsurpassed insight into the rocky, but nonetheless exciting, terrain to be negotiated in being a criminologist. It is essential reading for those already negotiating (and perhaps lost on) that terrain, and must surely become both a comprehensive and challenging resource for the orientation of newcomers. (Alistair Henry, Edinburgh Law Review)

Criminology is a booming discipline, yet one which can appear divided and fractious. In this rich and diverse collection of 34 essays, some of the worlds leading criminologists respond to a series of questions designed to investigate the state, impact and future challenges of the discipline: What is criminology for? What is the impact of criminology? How should criminology be done? What are the key issues and debates in criminology today? What challenges does the discipline of criminology face? How has criminology as a discipline changed over the last few decades?

The resulting essays identify a series of intellectual, methodological and ideological borders. Borders, in criminology as elsewhere, are policed, yet they are also frequently transgressed; criminologists can and do move across them to plunder, admire, or learn from other regions. While some boundaries may be more difficult or dangerous to cross than others it is rare to find an entirely secluded locale or community.

In traversing ideological, political, geographical and disciplinary borders, criminologists bring training, tools and concepts, as well as key texts to share with foreigners. From such exchanges, over time, borders may break down, shift, or spring up, enriching those who take the journey and those who are visited. It is, in other words, in criminologys capacity for and commitment to reflexivity, on which the strength of the field depends.