ABSTRACT
Just as our understanding of crime and deviance are relative, changing across time and space, so is the content of criminal law. Criminalization of behaviors is a political process and, therefore, the content of criminal codes varies. This chapter establishes a criminological framework by examining the concept of criminal law and its creation. It will become clear that criminal law, and thus offi cial recognition of “crime” and “criminals,” is entirely relative to time and space.
