What Research do we want from Criminology?*
| Date | 01 December 1971 |
| DOI | 10.1177/000486587100400406 |
| Author | David Biles |
| Published date | 01 December 1971 |
| Subject Matter | Original Articles |
AUST. &N.Z. JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY (Dec., 1971): 4, 4
What Research
do
we
want
from
Criminology?
*
DAVID
BILES··
233
IT
was originally
Intended
that
this
paper
should include
an
overview of
criminological
research
projects
in
progress
in
Australia,
but
further
investigation revealed
that
such
a
paper
would
both
be
inordinately
short
and
it
would be heavily biased towards
the
work of a
handful
of university or
government
departments.
The
hard
fact
is
that
there
is very
little
system-
atic
research
in criminology
currently
being conducted
in
this
country,
even though, for
reasons
which will be developed later,
it
is my belief
that
the
future
of criminology
and
criminological
research
is promising,
and
that,
in fact,
notable
progress
may
be expected
within
the
next
decade.
If
such
optimism is
warranted
and
we
are
indeed
at
the
dawn
of a
new
era
of criminological inquiry,
then
the
urgent
need
of
the
moment
is
to
ask
ourselves
what
we
want
from
research
in criminology: we
need
to
ask
ourselves
what
value
can
the
community
be expected to
gain
from
this
kind
of activity? Fox;'
for
example,
has
forcibly
argued
that
the
community
does
not
have
a
great
deal to
gain
directly from criminological research, as he
argues
that
it
is
not
"useful
in
bringing
about
change
in
the
established
criminal
justice system",
such
change
being more
often
the
result
of
either
humanitarianism
or expediency.
In
this
sense Fox suggests
that
research
in
criminology
is,
interesting
but
useless.
It
is my belief
that
Fox
has
over-
stated
his case; criminological
research
can
be useful and,
in
fact,
must
de-
velop along
these
lines if
it
is
to
progress
at
all. Fox's implicit
reminder
is
that
the
purpose of
research
in criminology is
not
primarily
to satisfy
the
esoteric needs of
researchers
for recognition or
status,
but
to provide guide-
lines for a viable
community
service. To a
large
extent
the
success
with
which
this
can
be accomplished depends on
what
is
meant
by criminology.
Numerous
attempts
have
been
made
to define criminology,
but
here
only
three
such
attempts
'will be considered.
The
most succinct says
that
crtmtnology is
the
study
of crime,
but
such
adefinition is
hardly
sufficiently
precise to suggest how criminologists should go
about
their
task.
How does
one
study crime? By
and
large crime is behaviour which is
nasty,
offensive
or dangerous.
It
is difficult to get close to it.
It
is
not
readily controlled.
(If
it
were,
perhaps
we would
not
need
criminology).
With
adefinition as
vague as
this
no activity, except
perhaps
becoming acriminal, would seem
to be uniquely crtminologtcal!
*Paper delivered to
the
Sixth National Conference of
the
Australian
Crime
Prevention,
Correction
and
After-Care Council, Br-isbane, August, 1971.
** Lecturer ln Crimfnology, University of Melbourne.
1. Fox, R. G., Criminological
Research-Interesting
but
Useless?
Paper
delivered at
Centre
of
Criminology, Toronto, 1970.
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