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Background, foreground, foresight: The third dimension of cultural criminology?

University of Southampton, UK, c.webber{at}soton.ac.uk

This article evaluates cultural criminology and argues that despite its utility in overcoming narrow technocratic empiricism it needs, first, more ethnographic research to support its theoretical material, and second, a firmer foundation for its definition of culture. These issues will be elucidated with reference to an ethnographic study of young people, where it will be further argued that the tendency to glamourize deviancy requires tempering with a dose of realism at the outcome of transgressive activity. The two-dimensional approach of attempting to overcome and integrate the foreground with the background needs to be joined with that of foresight.

Key Words: cultural criminology • ethnography • youth crime

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Crime, Media, Culture, Vol. 3, No. 2, 139-157 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1741659007078539


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Webber, C. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?