Criminology, deviance, and the silver screen

By Jon Frauley

Subjects: Crime films, Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.) in motion pictures, Reality in art, Criminology

Description: "This text argues for the usefulness of fictional realities for criminological theorizing and analysis. It illustrates that a creative and critical social scientific practice requires craft norms rather than the commercial norms that threaten to completely colonize higher education. It also illustrates that pedagogical enquiry is relevant and important for criminology. In illustrating the argument, major concepts of prominent and influential theoretical frameworks are highlighted and explicated through their systematic application to the fictional social realities provided by a selection of films. In addition to illustrating theoretical analysis and clarifying concepts, Frauley offers several original interpretations, descriptions, and explanations of cinematic narratives. This provides for the bridging of theory and application and will provide an innovative and interesting context in which to engage readers in the exploration of criminological theory and theorizing"-- "Works of fiction offer complex and layered social realities that can be deconstructed and creatively theorized through the analytic frameworks provided by criminology and sociology. This text argues for the usefulness of fictional realities for criminological theorizing and analysis. It illustrates that a creative and critical social scientific practice requires craft norms rather than the commercial norms that threaten to completely colonize higher education. It also illustrates that pedagogical enquiry is relevant and important for criminology. Frauley highlights major concepts of prominent and influential theoretical frameworks and explicates through their systematic application to the fictional social realities provided by a selection of films. In addition to exploring theoretical analysis and clarifying concepts, he offers several original interpretations, descriptions, and explanations of cinematic narratives. He bridges theory and application and provides an innovative and interesting context in which to engage readers in the exploration of criminological theory and theorizing"--