Professor Stephen Farrall, Research Professor in Criminology,The University of Derby,
Honorary Chair in Criminology, University of Sheffield.
"Exploring the Impact of Thatcherism on Criminal Careers".
"Research on the causes and correlates of offending had been a key preoccupation of sociologists, psychologists and criminologist for around a century. Criminal careers research has endeavoured to unpick why an individual starts offending, why they continue and why they might cease offending. Scholarship has percolated into criminal justice interventions which have sought to deter individuals from becoming involved in crime; that have diverted people towards more successful sentences, and to assist rehabilitation. The individual ‘offender’ has been the main focal point of such research, although scholars have recently sought to ‘locate’ the individual in wider relational structures (such as families, schools and neighbourhoods). Using data from the British 1970 Birth Cohort Study (BSC70), we develop a model that incorporates individuals, families and schools, but which tries to take account of national-level economic policies (which were driven by political ideas and which had social consequences). Employing a longitudinal lens, we track the BSC70 sample from childhood to adulthood through a period of dramatic industrial and social change in the UK during the early-1980s. Our paper suggests that processes of economic restructuring were a key causal factor in offending during this period. This broader framework also emphasises the importance of considering political and economic forces in criminal careers and related research."
Twitter: @Thatcher_legacy
Find out more!:
https://www.derby.ac.uk/research/showcase/thatcherism-and-crime/
https://www.derby.ac.uk/staff/stephen-farrall/
Seminars generally take place in B3 from 5.30pm, with refreshments after for attendees
Institute of Criminology, Sidgwick Ave, Cambridge, CB3 9DA
These seminars are open to all interested in attending, with no ticket required
If you wish to be added to the seminar mailing list, please contact: Reception@crim.cam.ac.uk