Paradigms of Modern Criminology

Abstract

What is important today is the convergence and synthesis of research approaches that strive to explain destructive behavior. The basic methodological framework of modern criminology is composed of two competing approaches — the axiological (normative) and the ontological (sociological) ones. Both theoretical-methodological approaches possess, to a certain extent, some heuristic value and correlate according to the well-known principle of complimentarity. However, the actual variety of theoretical and methodological concepts in criminology is so rich that it cannot be reduced to the opposition of the two abovementioned approaches. The axiological approach to explaining the causes of crime logically leads up to the concept of so-called social deformations that are understood in a broad sense, not only as «deformations-violations», but also as «violations-imperfections» compared to some kind of social standard for these relations. The standard, in its turn, should not be defined speculatively, but should rather be objectively dictated by the historical perspective, the dominant trend of the development of this society and the whole human civilization. The new paradigm, which is becoming part of the arsenal of Russian criminology, is based on the acceptance of synergetics ideas by criminologists. In connection with this, the «principle of subordination» could be useful for explaining the causes of crime. It states that a complex task can be reduced to solving a small number of variables («the parameters of order») that determine all others. When understanding the causal complex of crime, it is crucial to find the general indicators playing the key, determining part in the system of this complex. The synergetic approach could also become the basis for a principally new concept of crime prevention in general. It explains why sometimes a very strong external influence on the system turns out to be far less effective than a weak influence does, and vice versa: the important feature of the influence is not for it to be strong, but to be resonant, i.e. maximally aligned to the features of the managed system. The idea of so-called positive criminology has been discussed in criminological publications in recent years. It is based on the humane-personal approach, and its successful implementation depends on a deeper understanding of a criminal’s personality.