Book Review: Nathan Hall Hate Crime Cullompton & Portland, OR: Willan, 2005. 268 pp. £19.50 ISBN 1843921308 (pbk); £47.50 ISBN 9781843921301 (hbk) • Reviewed by Ed Pollock, Nottingham Trent University, UK
| Author | Ed Pollock |
| Published date | 01 August 2007 |
| Date | 01 August 2007 |
| DOI | 10.1177/17488958070070030602 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
To the extent that the book encourages criminologists to reflect upon the
philosophical issues underpinning their work, and where these are implicit,
to make them explicit, and to the extent that it provides resources and tools
by which means this might be achieved, it is undoubtedly a worthwhile text.
Yet at the same time, the book sometimes seems to understate existing ten-
dencies within criminology, if we can take criminology to represent a coher-
ent ‘domain of knowing’, to tackle ontological, epistemological and ethical
questions. This gives the impression of a straw man being set up to be
knocked back down. If, when it is picked up and dusted down, it is stronger
and more self-aware from the experience, perhaps that is no bad thing.
Nathan Hall
Hate Crime
Cullompton & Portland, OR: Willan, 2005. 268 pp. £19.50
ISBN 1843921308 (pbk); £47.50 ISBN 9781843921301 (hbk)
•Reviewed by Ed Pollock, Nottingham Trent University, UK
As Hall points out in the preface of this timely and very helpful addition to
the hate crimes literature, ‘hate crime is a complex phenomenon and a
relatively new and under explored issue of academic study’. However,
the body of literature specifically devoted to issues of bias, prejudice and
hate crime has, over the previous 15 years or so, expanded swiftly. Hence,
Hall brings together, in this thorough and well-researched hybrid of a very
good student Reader and a self-authored monograph, many influential
works from various eminent scholars (such as Barbara Perry, Gregory Herek,
Kevin Berrill, Jack Levin, Jack McDevitt, James Jacobs, Kimberley Potter,
Ben Bowling and Coretta Phillips) to have made significant contributions
to the debates on hate crime, bias and prejudice since the early 1990s.
Accordingly, for the purpose of gaining a comprehensive understanding of
the fundamental aspects and central themes of hate crime, this book repre-
sents a helpful alternative to examining the many separate texts now pub-
lished in this area. Hatred motivated by racism or homophobia underpins
the essence of this book—although Hall does touch upon (albeit very
briefly) other, often overlooked, forms of bias, prejudice and hate crime
such as that perpetrated against those with disabilities, the transgendered
and travellers.
Hall seeks to challenge existing assumptions and standpoints about the
hate crime problem and offers his own, usually quite persuasive viewpoints.
Also provided, is a well-analysed examination of the social and historical
context within which hate crime exists and in addition includes a detailed
discussion of the body of hate crime legislation thus far enacted in Great
Britain and the United States. Hall also seeks to provide a clear and under-
standable picture of the extent and nature of hate crime through a variety of
statistics published previously by law enforcement agencies, in addition to
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