Crime, Culture and Violence : Understanding How Masculinity and Identity Shapes Offending

by Seidler, Katie

• ISBN13: 9781921513565
• ISBN10: 192151356X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-08
• Publisher: Ingram Pub Services

Summary

From prison interviews with violent offenders and a wealth of experience and research, psychologist Dr Katie Seidler explores the complex interaction between crime and culture. Featuring the voices of the offenders themselves, 15 convicted adult male violent offenders from various ethnic cultural communities explain their understanding, motivations and rationalisations for their actions and how these relate to questions of identity, community and responsibility within their cultural experience and values. In challenging current criminological theory, Dr Seidler suggests that offenders from group-oriented (collectivist) cultures offend for group-oriented reasons, whereas those from cultures prioritising individualism offend for individual reasons. This more nuanced understanding of crime and criminals within the context of culture adds significantly both to criminological theory, as well as providing suggestions for improvements to policing and offender management and rehabilitation within the criminal justice system.

Author Biography

Katie Seidler is a clinical and forensic psychologist in private practice who has worked for the past 15 years in the criminal justice system, both with adolescent and adult offenders. In this area she has specialised in working with high-risk sex and violent offenders. Katie has also been involved in professional training, research and professional development. Her private practice is concerned with the provision of specialist assessments and treatment, as well as being involved in supervision, consultancy, research and training. She is dedicated to providing responsive forensic treatment that aims to protect the community and reduce recidivism by offenders.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Why I Wrote This Book	p. 1
Crime in Context	p. 6
A Review of What We Know About Crime	p. 13
A Working Definition of Culture	p. 29
Meeting the Offenders	p. 39
'I have to prove that I'm there' - Identity and its Relationship to Criminal Violence	p. 49
'This is for my people' versus 'It's your fault … leave me alone': Cultural Meanings of Criminal Behaviour	p. 115
'I just lost it': Offenders' Rationalisations for Criminal Violence	p. 148
The Way Forward	p. 175
Appendix - Methodological Approach	p. 185
References	p. 191
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.