ABSTRACT
As noted in the preface, the colonial perspective is likely the least recognized and examined criminological theory. Thus, while colonization is an age-old practice, theorists have overlooked the explanatory power of colonial-based perspectives to explain the etiology of crime and violence in colonial and postcolonial societies. The perspective has particular relevance for countries where populations have or continue to be dominated by colonial practices or regimes. The chapter begins with a general overview of the perspective, which draws heavily on Becky Tatum’s 1994 pioneering articulation of the theory. The chapter continues with an examination of the few available empirical tests of colonial-based perspectives. The next part of the chapter is devoted to the review of Biko Agozino’s 2003 counter-colonial criminological perspective, which has put criminology on notice regarding the clear relevance of the colonial model for understanding the emergence of Western criminology and its use to perpetuate racist crime-related colonial doctrines. The chapter closes with a review of Saleh-Hanna’s analysis of colonialism and the Nigerian criminal justice system. As with previous chapters, this one includes some general weaknesses of the colonial perspective.
