ABSTRACT
The authors apply the various properties of science presented in Chapter 1 to evaluate criminology’s performance as a science. The authors begin by identifying the numerous ways in which criminology has violated the various ontological, methodological, and axiological/moral assumptions of science. Next, the authors identify the various social organizational features within the field of criminology that undermine its ability to operate as a science; these features mainly pertain to its research community, aims, domain of discourse, and use of specific background knowledge, as well as to issues surrounding criminology’s operation as a basic science, applied science, or technology. The criticisms presented in this chapter could easily be interpreted as a castigation of scientific criminology and nothing more. The authors’ intent, however, is simply to identify the shortcomings of scientific criminology so that efforts can be made to improve it.
