Postmodern theories of crime

Postmodern Theories of
Crime
From modernity to post-modernity
Modern Age Post Modern Age
- Consumer Oriented - Work oriented
- Reason and science - Reason and science are
provide accurate, Ideologies in the
objective, reliable Nietzschean or Marxist
foundation of “knowledge” sense: simply myths
- Science is an objective created by man.
means of understanding - Science is ideology.
the natural world and its
application can improve
our lives.

Key features of postmodernism
- Truth is relative - Consumerism is all
- Transformation of the self (‘pick n mix’) - Uncertainty
- Disillusionment with the idea of progress - Incessant
Choice
- Fragmentation of social life - Globalisation
- The impact of ICT on social life

How does post-modern theories
relate to crime?
- Post-modern theories reject grand narrative theories of crime.
For example, they criticise traditional theories such as Marxist
and functionalist perspectives.
- These grand theories do not account for individuality and
uniqueness of the criminal act.
- Postmodernists believe that categories of crime are merely
social constructs based on narrow legal definitions. Post
modernists believe that such definitions are now outdated.