Student motivations for studying criminology: A narrative inquiry
| Author | Clare Griffiths,Julie Trebilcock |
| DOI | 10.1177/1748895821993843 |
| Date | 01 July 2022 |
| Published date | 01 July 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895821993843
Criminology & Criminal Justice
2022, Vol. 22(3) 480 –497
© The Author(s) 2021
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DOI: 10.1177/1748895821993843
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Student motivations for
studying criminology:
A narrative inquiry
Julie Trebilcock
Middlesex University, UK
Clare Griffiths
Keele University, UK
Abstract
The number of students studying criminology at university has significantly increased. Yet,
criminology students have been all but ignored in research, despite being key stakeholders and
ambassadors in the criminological enterprise. Drawing on the analysis of 12 in-depth interviews,
we explore why students are motivated to study criminology and how these motivations are
linked to their past experiences and future aspirations. Using a narrative inquiry, three types
of stories emerged through our analysis: stories about (1) building on existing interests, (2)
understanding the ‘self’, and (3) securing ‘justice’ and ‘helping’ others. The stories students tell
about their exposure to ‘crime’ help motivate their decision to study criminology, while their
engagement with the discipline, enables them to make sense of these previous experiences and
of themselves.
Keywords
Biography, identities, narrative criminology, public criminology, study, university
Introduction
Around the world, the number of students studying criminology at university has sig-
nificantly increased. In the United Kingdom alone, more than 100 universities now
offer over 800 undergraduate programmes involving criminology (Levi, 2017). While
Corresponding author:
Julie Trebilcock, Department of Criminology & Sociology, School of Law, Middlesex University, The
Burroughs, London, NW4 4BT, UK.
Email: j.trebilcock@mdx.ac.uk
993843CRJ0010.1177/1748895821993843Criminology & Criminal JusticeTrebilcock and Griths
research-article2021
Article
Trebilcock and Griffiths 481
criminologists have long reflected on the history of the discipline (e.g. Triplett, 2018),
considered the work and identities of criminal justice practitioners (e.g. Mawby and
Worrall, 2013), and deliberated about what criminology is, and is for (e.g. Bosworth and
Hoyle, 2011), it is curious that almost no attention has been paid to our students. In
Public Criminology? Loader and Sparks (2011: 4) advocate we ‘pay close attention to
the diverse publics who are the users or would-be users of criminological “products” –
as well as to the role criminology may have in constituting these publics’. Given stu-
dents are our ‘first public’ (Burawoy, 2004: 1608) and can be viewed as both
criminological ‘products’ and the ‘future’ of criminology, it is important we explore
‘criminology’s role in education and the ways student attitudes, experiences and careers
become part of publicness’ (Walters, 2011: 733).
Drawing on the analysis of 12 in-depth interviews with UK students, this paper gives
greater voice to our ‘first public’ by exploring why they may be motivated to study crimi-
nology. Criminologists have a responsibility to promote social justice (Richie, 2011) and
in the context of significant growth in criminology degree programmes, populated by
students who may aspire to work as practitioners, policy makers or academics, we need
to consider what attracts people to our field. Criminal justice work can be difficult, ‘life
changing, and psychologically challenging’ (Bailey and Ballard, 2015: 203) and our stu-
dents may go on to be employed in positions of authority with vulnerable people
(Bjerregaard and Lord, 2004). While not all students will work in related careers, crimi-
nology is still responsible for ‘producing a better informed and educated citizenry’
(Finckenauer, 2005: 419). Moreover, when students speak with those around them, they
can serve as criminological ‘ambassadors’ by using their knowledge to dispel public
myths about crime (Uggen and Inderbitzin, 2010).
A common reason given by students for studying criminology is because it is thought
to be an ‘interesting’ subject (Walters and Kremser, 2016). While some speculate that
students may be influenced by the ‘CSI effect’, ‘just as many are propelled into the field
as a result of more altruistic and personal motivations’ (Belknap and Potter, 2007: 16)
and because they want to ‘help people’ (Eren et al., 2019). Career-related motivations,
increased media consumption, being good at similar subjects at school/college and
deterred by more ‘scientific’ subjects, have also been identified as motivating factors
(Barthe et al., 2013; Collica-Cox and Furst, 2019; Krimmel and Tartaro, 1999).
Most of the research undertaken in this area has been completed in the US and is
quantitative in design. Given the focus and content of criminology degrees varies in
different jurisdictions, with those in the United States often having evolved from aca-
demic based training for police officers (Sloan and Buchwalter, 2017), the applicabil-
ity of these findings to UK students is unclear. Current research only provides a cursory
understanding, and we know very little about what personal motivations students may
have, or what they mean when they say criminology is ‘interesting’ or that they want
to ‘help people’. Students are ‘carriers of a rich lived experience’ and we should
develop a clearer understanding of ‘the historical and social contexts that have made
them who they are’ (Burawoy, 2005: 9). Recognising this, we undertook a narrative
inquiry and encouraged our students to tell the stories of their lives and how they came
to study criminology.
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