Review: Criminal Justice Research: Inspiration, Influence and Ideation
| Author | Phil Clements |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X0207500407 |
| Date | 01 November 2002 |
| Published date | 01 November 2002 |
| Subject Matter | Review |
REVIEWS
CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH: INSPIRATION,
INFLUENCE
AND
IDEATION
Edited by Ian K. McKenzie and Ray Bull
Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002
ISBN 0-7546-2153-7
Reviewed by Phil Clements
Like it or not, there can be few of us who are not fascinated in
some way by ranking things that are important to us. For some it
may be school or university league tables, for others the 'rich
list', others still 'your hundred best tunes'. Ian McKenzie and
Ray Bull were similarly attracted to the idea of charting the
favourite, or at least most influential books, papers or documents
published in the field of criminal justice research in the twentieth
century. To achieve this daunting task they have assembled (and
joined) a set of writers who, although significant in themselves,
were asked to reflect on their own formative influences. The
authors were asked to select between three and six pieces of
work that had the greatest impact on them as individuals and in
terms
of
formulating their research interests.
The result is not surprisingly a rich tapestry
of
perspectives
and influences that leave the reader with the impression that he
or she is being taken into the key formative areas of thinking in
criminal justice research. More importantly perhaps, the book
presents an opportunity for the reader to break out of their own
speciality and delve into others. Such broadening of perspectives
can only be healthy for all those engaged in this area of
research.
The book is organised into four sections: (1) The Criminal
Justice Core; (2) Police Culture; (3) The Police Role; and (4)
Crime Investigation. So there is pretty much something for
everyone. Having said that, for me with an interest in fairness
and equality issues, I was naturally drawn to the influences on
Jennifer Brown and Ian McKenzie. Both these pieces provide
good, although different, examples of what inspired and influ-
enced them. Brown, for example, claims three point of reference
as stimulating her research interest in gender and policing, these
being:
(1) Her admiration for the women pioneers who fought for
the right to vote and who broke into previously male-
dominated domains of work;
The Police Journal. Volume 75 (2002) 363
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