Criminological Ethnography: An Introduction

At a time when quantitative approaches continue to be preferred in the analysis of 21st Century crime and its control, James Treadwell makes a timely and compelling case for the continuing relevance and explanatory power of ‘Criminological Ethnography’. Written by one of the best Criminological Ethnographers in the business, this text reinvigorates the debate over the role of ethnography in the study of crime and criminal justice and will serve as an invaluable and insightful resource for both novice and seasoned ethnographers of criminological issues.

If the fundamental goal of criminology is to explain why crime occurs – rather than measure where, when and how often it occurs – we need to get out there into the real world and talk to the men, women and children who engage in it. Ethnography is the only research methodology that allows us to explore in detail human perceptions of criminal conduct, and without it our discipline would be much the poorer. In this wonderful book, Treadwell - one of criminology’s most celebrated ethnographers – offers a spirited defence of and a detailed guide to the art of ethnographic fieldwork… a must-read for undergraduate students in the social sciences, postgraduate students about to head out into the field and academics keen investigate the real world.

I became a Professor in Criminology at Staffordshire University in 2017, having started my career as a   Lecturer in Criminology in 2003 at the University of Central England.  Before I moved into academia I had previously worked for NACRO and the National Probation Service.  I have previously held academic posts at Birmingham Law School (University of Birmingham) the Centre for Applied Criminology (Birmingham City University) and the Department of Criminology (University of Leicester).  I am currently a member of the executive with the British Society of Criminology (and act as Chair of the Prizes Committee).  I was academic advisor on the Howard League Commission into Ex-Military Personnel in Prison (advising the inquiry chair Sir John Nutting QC). I was opening speaker at the launch of Secretary of State for Justice's Inquiry into Veterans within the Criminal Justice System in London in April 2014.

My research is largely based on ethnography and in depth interviewing.  I undertook a long term ethnographic study of the English Defence League publishing material from that project (with Simon Winlow and Steve Hall) in the well-received book Rise of the Right.  Prior to that, I used ethnographic methods to study the August 2011 English Riots and material generated from that project featured in Riots and Political Protest (With Simon Winlow, Steve Hall and Dan Briggs).  My Sage published textbook Criminology (2013) is in its second edition and is used as an introduction to the subject of criminology at several universities. I have contributed to a number of criminology and sociology edited collections.  I have published articles in international Journals such as the British Journal of Criminology, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Crime, Media, Culture and the Howard Journal of Criminal Justice

Introduction Part One - Criminological Ethnography: Key Concepts and Theoretical Frameworks Chapter 1: Why Criminological Ethnography? Chapter 2: Early Criminological Ethnography Chapter 3: Core Ethnographic Principles and Approaches Part Two - Doing Criminological Ethnography Chapter 4: Planning an Ethnographic Project Chapter 5: Doing Ethnographic Criminology Chapter 6: Doing Ethical Criminological Ethnography Part Three: Writing Criminological Ethnography Chapter 7: Entering the Field Chapter 8: In the Field Chapter 9: Writing and Recording in the Field Part Four: Evaluating and Presenting Criminological Ethnography Chapter 10: Writing up Criminological Ethnography Chapter 11: Impactful Criminological Ethnography Chapter 12: Emerging Perspectives and Future Challenges