Comparative Criminology
Abstract
What is comparative criminology? It is the application of the comparative method in the science of criminology.2 Many criminologists use comparisons. Just think of a study comparing one group with another group, a control group. But this is not what we mean by comparative criminology; it requires comparison across cultures or nations. Typical of comparative criminology is research on "Transnational crime and comparisons of crime and criminal justice systems across nations", as it is stated in the mission statement of the International Division of the American Society of Criminology. We would like to elaborate this definition by calling comparative criminology the cross-cultural or cross-national study of crime and crime control. Comparison is something all human beings do every day. In choosing a home, for example, you compare such elements as number of rooms and price, location, access to transportation, shopping and recreation, age of the structure, beauty of the surroundings, and so on. This comparison can become a science if it is done in a systematic manner.
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