Who is Afraid of Criminology? Why is Criminology a Casus Belli Subject in France and Why it Has to Change?

12 Pages Posted: 5 Apr 2012

See all articles by Martine Herzog-Evans

Martine Herzog-Evans

University of Reims - Law Faculty, France

Date Written: April 5, 2012

Abstract

In February 2012, the French government decided to create criminology faculties. Over the last two years, the issue criminology faculties has been at the centre of an academic trench war, leading to a sad name-blame exercise fuelled by partisan myopia. This essay explains who are the opponents and what their arguments are. She argues in favour of the government’s endeavor as it is in the best interest of students who cannot study criminology, of Phd candidates who have to leave the country or make other plans, and of practitioners who urgently need applied criminology knowledge. She explains why it is also a political emergency: currently, politicians are free to reform on the sole basis of simplistic ideological stances without ever being rigorously challenged by empirical research. The author lastly presents some of the cultural traits which explain why France is so impervious to change.

Keywords: criminology, university, faculty, France, reforms, academic, partisan, economic crisis, students, PhD, practitioners, probation, police, empirical research, evidence-based, ideology

JEL Classification: H62, I100, I20, I21, I28, I29, K00, K14; K19, K39, K40, K41, K49

Suggested Citation

Herzog-Evans, Martine, Who is Afraid of Criminology? Why is Criminology a Casus Belli Subject in France and Why it Has to Change? (April 5, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2034867 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2034867

Martine Herzog-Evans (Contact Author)

University of Reims - Law Faculty, France ( email )

57 bis rue Pierre Taittinger
Reims, 51100
France