What is Criminology About?

Abstract

The paper asks if we can imagine aesthetic experiences and procedures as a fruitful ground for understanding criminology's 'aboutness'. It then proceeds to answer this question by constrasting the predominant scientistic sense of criminology with an aesthetic sense. First, it is argued that the modernist figuration of what is called here 'ordinary crime discourse' embodies a disregard for the aesthetic dimensions of law and justice, and creates certain pitfalls that cause criminology's perennial identity crisis and irresponsiveness, The paper then proceeds to draw upon reflections on art and aesthetics, exploring jazz as the contrapuntual form of today's world music, and as an 'aesthetics of imperfection'. As a model of what is called 'chaosmic' ethics, jazz is presented as a pioneering practice for the development of a different sense of criminology.

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