Sherman vs Sherman
| Author | Nick Tilley |
| DOI | 10.1177/1748895809102549 |
| Published date | 01 May 2009 |
| Date | 01 May 2009 |
| Subject Matter | Debate and Dialogue |
Criminology & Criminal Justice
© The Author(s), 2009. Reprints and Permissions:
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ISSN 1748–8958; Vol: 9(2): 135–144
DOI: 10.1177/1748895809102549
Sherman vs Sherman:
Realism vs rhetoric
NICK TILLEY
University College London, UK
There are two Lawrence Shermans. One is a realist and the other a rhetori-
cian. I shall refer to the realist Sherman as Sherman1 and the rhetorician
Sherman as Sherman2. Sherman1’s work, I’ll suggest, is of huge value,
while the directions suggested by Sherman2 pose risks to research, practice
and important liberal principles. I also think there are underlying tensions
between the two Shermans.
Before getting to the details, I should make clear that there is a good
deal of common ground between both Shermans and, for that matter, the
author of this short note! All take the view that criminal justice policies and
practices in general, and in policing in particular, could be substantially
improved by more systematic attention to evidence about the effects of
what is delivered. All take the view that better use might be made of past
research, whose systematic synthesis promises more than a simple catalogue
of individual findings. All are, broadly speaking, liberals, who are in favour
of maximizing freedom and minimizing harm.
Sherman1
Let me introduce Sherman1, the realist. Sherman1 is a realist in three separ-
ate senses. First, he is concerned with conducting applied criminological
research that speaks to the real diverse conditions in which criminal justice
interventions have to be delivered. Second, the structure of the middle range
theories he formulates in relation to the effects of criminal justice inter-
ventions accords with scientific realism. Third, his pragmatic use of diverse
sources of data and methods of data-collection in testing and refining those
theories is realistic about the sources of evidence that are available and can
be used. 135
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