Speech for the defense of a radically constructivist sociology of (criminal) law

Carrier, Nicolas

doi:10.1016/j.ijlcj.2008.04.002

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Mills, 1943Mills, /1963 to early sociological theories, such as the social disorganization thesis. Yet, even contemporary self-labeled constructivist sociologists are habitually engaged in the exact same process of symptomatologization (Carrier, 2008b). From Bonger's (1916) Criminality and Economic Conditions, to The New Criminology (Taylor et al, 1973) and in our time the thesis of 'governing through crime' (Simon, 2007), a massive set of sociological theories are enabled by observing crime (i.e.…”

Section: Locating Pathologizations Of the Bios Within Criminologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The rise of biocriminology: Capturing observable bodily economies of ‘criminal man’

Walby

Carrier

2010

Criminology & Criminal Justice

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Revisiting the contributions of numerous foundational biocriminological works, this article uses the concept 'bodily economies' to analyze the emergence and solidification of criminological pathologizations of the bios dependent on the capture and analysis of human corporeal matter. The scholars we discuss (Lombroso, Ellis, Goring, Hooton, and the Gluecks) each causally equate some part of the body with inbuilt criminality. Through an exegesis of their work, we illustrate how the boundaries of the social body are constituted in and through corporeal capturings and classifications of 'criminal man'. Our analysis investigates the biocriminological method of locating sources of criminality inside the body, which still permeates the new 'science of criminals' used as a tool to define and protect the social body. We conclude by discussing the renewed biocriminological interest in preventing criminality through forecasting it in various scientific constructs and visualizations of the inner body.

show abstract

Section: Locating Pathologizations Of the Bios Within Criminologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The rise of biocriminology: Capturing observable bodily economies of ‘criminal man’

Walby

Carrier

2010

Criminology & Criminal Justice

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This-notably because Foucault is so a`la mode-forces a very problematic link between deviance and crime (see Carrier 2008b). From Surveiller et punir to contemporary work on social control, crime is indeed seen as Foucault suggested: the ''rough'' extremity of le pouvoir de la norme; its ''terminal form' ' (e.g.…”

Section: Reworking the Concept Of Social Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical Criminology Meets Radical Constructivism

Carrier

2011

Crit Crim

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Critical criminology and radical constructivism are frequently regarded as an impossible pair-or, at least, as a rather schizophrenic one. This is so, notably, because radical constructivism rests on the (paradoxical) abandonment of what Jean-François Lyotard named méta-récits. It rests on the refusal to distinguish between the phenomenal and the symbolic, and thus implies the complete vanishing of the classical difference between ontology and epistemology. This would consequently deprive criminology (or, more generally, the social sciences) of any anchoring point enabling a critical utterance. The present contribution's thesis is that, on the contrary, radical constructivism can catalyze critical criminology. Among the possible contributions of a radically constructivist sociology of criminalization, this paper focuses on: its call for a reworking of the concept of social control, which avoids problems related to its contemporary usage; its focus on power and force, in a way which avoids Foucaultian perspectives' aporetic elements, and problematizes every instance of legitimized authoritarian practices.The diversity of the forms taken by critical criminology can be observed everywhere on a long continuum between the highly abstract universes that theoretical architects create, and the heavily concrete arenas in which activists sweat and scream. Such plurality led some to suggest that there are as many forms of critical criminology as there are criminologists labelling themselves as critical (e.g. Schwartz and Hatty 2003:ix). The internal differentiation of critical criminology, as well as the very production of the boundaries of the critical realm within criminology, is nevertheless far from being chaotic. Despite its internal differentiation, critical criminology presents a unity that is constantly produced and reproduced through an array of strategies that we use to distinguish ourselves from 'conventional', 'mainstream', 'administrative', or 'orthodox' criminology. These strategies are distributed along theoretical, empirical, methodological and epistemological axes. Mobilizing different theories (Marxist, feminist, neo-Foucaultian, etc.), placing the N. Carrier (

show abstract

“…The fact dimension constructs the difference between system/environment, the temporal dimension produces the difference between past and future, while the social dimension produces the difference between Ego and Alter (Luhmann, 1995). As such, the phenomenal world can only be given meaning through the act of distinction (Carrier, 2008); which actualizes meaning from the selection from a horizon of possibilities (Luhmann, 1995).…”

Section: Meaningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Committing Sociology (of Law): The Autonomy of Law in Canada's 'War on Terror'

Silva¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Critical sociologists often argue that post-2001 counterterrorism policies, which depend on extraordinary powers and various executive provisions, are the ultimate example of sovereign power's victory over the rule of law. Such opprobrium often ignores the empirical study of legal communications in lieu of policy documents and political discourses. As such, this thesis advocates for an analysis of legal communications in the context of Canada's 'war on terror'. The aim is to provide an alternative sociology of anti-terrorism law by engaging with a theoretical perspective often overlooked in sociology: Niklas Luhmann's social systems theory. Through an analysis of Supreme Court of Canada decisions, this thesis examines the impact of anti-terror legislation on the autonomy of law. It is argued that while the system of law is always 'endangered' by threats from the outside, law's creative maintenance of anti-terror legislation can be read as an example of the reinforcement of law's autonomy. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Nicolas Carrier for his enthusiasm, mentorship, understanding, and most importantly, his friendship during my graduate career at Carleton University. His guidance over the past two years has been invaluable on both an academic and personal level, for which I am extremely grateful. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Aaron Doyle for his ceaseless motivation and enduring support throughout the completion of this thesis. Without his guidance and wisdom, this project would not have been possible.

show abstract

Speech for the defense of a radically constructivist sociology of (criminal) law

Cited by 12 publications

References 26 publications

The rise of biocriminology: Capturing observable bodily economies of ‘criminal man’

The rise of biocriminology: Capturing observable bodily economies of ‘criminal man’

Critical Criminology Meets Radical Constructivism

Committing Sociology (of Law): The Autonomy of Law in Canada's 'War on Terror'

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About