Taylor et al 1973 Hall 1978 Gilroy 1982 New Criminology Taylor et al 1973 Hall 1978 Gilroy 1982

“The New Criminology” 1973 In this book Taylor provides a critique of existing theories but also puts forward what he describes as a “fully social theory of crime and deviance”. He states that criminologists need to examine every aspect of crime including; The reasons behind the criminal act The role played by the police The role played by the courts The role played by mass media The role played by politics The role played by capitalism

“Policing the Crisis” Hall 1978 Inspired by the work of Taylor, Stuart Hall examines the moral panic that developed over the crime of mugging in the 1970s. Despite sensationalist newspaper reports that claimed there was an increase in mugging, Hall’s own research showed that it was actually growing more slowly than in the previous decade. Notes pg 389 in text book

The Myth of Black Criminality Gilroy 1982 Paul Gilroy argues that Afro-Caribbean men are no more criminal than White men but they are labelled by the police and courts and treated unfairly When black men do break the law it can be viewed as a political act, a fight against a racist white society. Gilroy argues that it was convenient for the government of the 1980s to focus public attention on the myth of black crime rather than their failure to tackle high unemployment rates.

Criticisms of the New Criminoloy Both Hall & Gilroy contradict themselves On one hand they claim that certain crimes are a “myth” On the other they state that crime is bound to rise because of factors such as unemployment If crime rates do rise, then it isn’t a moral panic but a real event Notes pgs 347 & 348 in text book