9.3 Subfields and Specializations within Criminology
9.3 Subfields and Specializations within Criminology
Beyond the established crime and victimization topics criminologists will continue to study going forward, there are also some important and emerging subfields within criminology that bring attention to different issues. The sub-disciplines discussed here differ from those already covered in this textbook. They are not the only important or emerging areas of study, but rather a sample of those that will be part of the field’s future. They include:
- victimology
- green criminology
- rural criminology
- queer criminology
- convict criminology
- space law and criminology
Victimology
Victimology is the scientific study of victimization within society. It is a grounded social science derived from the narratives and experiences of survivors of crime. Like criminology, it explores broader social questions about how people come to experience violence, how those experiences are understood within society, and the imbalance of power between the various actors in the criminal justice system. Victimology should not be defined as the study of victims. This would be akin to describing criminology as the study of criminals without acknowledging the value-laden nature of the word and the power dynamics that shape its use.
Victimology is often understood as emerging as a sub-discipline of criminology, and later emerging as a distinct yet overlapping discipline exploring a different set of questions than criminologists (Spencer & Walklate, 2016; Wemmers, 2017). Victimology research often identifies and defines types of victimization, explores how they are measured, examines relationships between victims and perpetrators, and analyzes the experiences of survivors in the criminal justice system, victim services, and society (Karmen, 2020). This sub-discipline is incredibly important for illuminating the needs of those who are at risk or have been victimized (figure 9.6).
Supplemental Resources
- If you are curious about victim services in Oregon, check out the Oregon Department of Justice’s Crime Victim and Survivor Services Division [Website].
- If you are interested in learning about career options in the field of victimology, check out victim services careers at the FBI [Website].
Green Criminology
Green criminology refers to:
the study of environmental crimes and harms affecting human and nonhuman life, ecosystems, and the biosphere. More specifically, green criminology explores and analyzes: the causes, consequences, and prevalence of environmental crime and harm, the responses to and prevention of environmental crime and harm by the legal system (civil, criminal, regulatory) and by nongovernmental entities and social movements, as well as the meaning and mediated representations of environmental crime and harm (Brisman & South, 2019, p. 1).
Much of traditional criminology is anthropocentric (human-centered), as theories and research focus on humans both as perpetrators of criminal actions as well as victims